Related Articles

Ethiopia has come a long way. In the last fifty years, it traveled the longest distance from where it started compared to many African and Middle Eastern countries. The Epic journey took it out from the darkest abyss of a feudal system lorded over by Emperor Haile Selassie, through a bloody Dergue Marxist revolution that finally brought Colonel Mengistu Hailemariam, through a tough rebellion that brought the downfall of the Dergue regime in 1991.

In parallel, Eritreans fought for self-determination to break free from the grip of the feudal Ethiopian empire. They started the struggle 20 years before Ethiopians began their fifty-year journey. and they came out victorious in 1991. Eritrea was liberated, so was Ethiopia. Sadly, the Eritrean misery continued under the rule of the liberators-turned-oppressors.

In 1991, the two countries started from identical situations, but Eritrea took a different path, one of domination and curtailing basic freedoms and human rights. It is still marred by many crises and is ruled by the mentality of rebellion and a guerrilla mindset. However, both the Ethiopian TPLF and the Eritrean EPLF were inflicted with the same malady; both believe in military might and absolute power. And unbeknownst to the citizens of the two countries, the relations between the two allied guerrilla entities that came to power in 1991 were deteriorating; the waters that looked calm on the surface were boiling below. That was a natural cause for the two years of bloody confrontation that ensued.

However, while Eritrea stayed a single party, a militarist country, Ethiopia started to walk the challenging path of democratization, against all odds. While the Ethiopians persistently challenged the ruling party and inched their way ahead, the Eritrean ruling party made sure no opponent remained standing to challenge it.

As recent as two months ago, the Ethiopian power center shifted from one entity within the ruling coalition party, the TPLF, to another, the OPDO, and to a certain degree to the EPDM. TPLF, the founder, and architect of the EPRDF party had its nails clipped and its political influence drastically downsized in a lightning speed. That change brought the dangerously fast-moving new Prime Minister, Dr. Abyi Ahmed. Since his election in April, the PM changed so many things to the extent that the face of Ethiopian politics seems to have had a drastic facelift and doesn’t resemble the face of Ethiopia before he was inaugurated.

Understandably, he was catapulted to power by the youth whom his party rallied behind. They were the formidable force that protested against the statuesque and dictated the unprecedented change of attitude among the political elite. Since his inauguration, Dr. Abiy has been hopping from one place to another, roaming the country, meeting with people, explaining his vision, and soothing the low morale of Ethiopians, and launched an admirable process of healing the political rifts.

Among the drastic steps he took, some are phenomenal. Recently he oversaw the retirement of senior military officers, appointing new ones, and reinstating other Ethiopian commanders who were discharged dishonorably—he recognized their national services, reinstated their military titles, and honorably moved them to retire with full rights. To some, that could seem a minor undertaking, but the psychological and moral boost it gives Ethiopians, and the moral authority it attached to his leadership, is gigantic.

Dr. Abiy’s vision for the economy, where the major banner is the privatizing of the Ethiopian Airlines, the most successful African airline, and the privatization of the telecommunications sector, among other economic establishments, has gained him the support of world financial markets, investors, and funders alike.

The swift moves were not limited to his internal activities. Externally, he has cemented Ethiopian alliances with Sudan, he has travelled to Egypt and massaged their egos, giving them the assurances regarding the flow of the Nile waters, his gestures and diplomatic statements forced the Egyptian media to go gaga, the same media that was up in arms against Ethiopia during the presidency of Mursi, agitating Egyptians against the Ethiopian renaissance dam which they claimed will slow the flow of the Nile River and force Egyptians to go thirsty! In addition, he launched his vision for a bigger cooperation among the regional countries which he spelled out after his recent visit to Somalia. So far, he has harvested a $3 billion aid from the Abu Dhabi Fund for Development (ADFD) that was announced when the UAE heir apparent visited Addis Ababa on Eid Day.

However, there remains a thorny issue on his table: the unresolved Eritrean-Ethiopian boundary. So far, he has promised to respect the EEBC ruling and the Algiers Agreement and pull out Ethiopian forces from occupied Eritrean territories. Given the situation in the border areas, and the rivalry between the PFDJ and the TPLF, his statement is easier said than done, though this time, many hope he will prevail over the petty competition that cost the region immense loses and irreparable damages.

For the last 20 years, Eritrea has been living in a no-war-no-peace situation, a pretext that the Eritrean ruling party used to turn the entire country into an open-air prison where the youth suffered the most. They are still victims of indefinite conscription, arrest without warrant or trial, and the killing of their dreams for a free and better life. In addition, the economic meltdown has impoverished the people and the Eritrean economy has not expanded one bit in the last 20 years. Unemployment is rampant, corruption, nepotism, and abuse of power is so widespread it is suffocating the citizens who leave Eritrea in their thousands in search of freedom and opportunities.

Eritreans mainly blame their ruling party that failed in basic governance and diplomacy, and in navigating the corridors of world power. It stayed mediocre, failing to produce fine statesmen since it forced itself to the seat of power. Twenty-seven years after entering Asmara victoriously in 1991, its guerrilla structure is still intact defying reason and adamantly refusing to change, and it’s still controlled by the struggle era generation.

Unfortunately. Peace and War in Eritrea have been governed by the relations between the Tigray rulers and the Eritrean rulers. Whenever they were on good terms, the rest of the people suffered, and when they were at loggerheads, the people suffered equally. But this time, even Eritreans who gave the TPLF generous benefit of the doubt are questioning the real motive of the rulers of Tigray.

In the last 20 years, the TPLF has managed to cripple the Eritrean opposition, creating client organizations along regional and ethnic lines. It has presided over the ritual of fracturing the Eritrean cohesion and now it seems ambivalent, not clear what it will do next.

Badme has been the cause of many small conflicts for over three-decades; in 1997 it became a flash-point for a major war [with] a colossal human crisis…. Ethiopia seems hell bent on not relinquishing the village without a dialogue to fine tune the borders of the [EEBC] court decision; Eritrea seems hell bent on continuing to scream “Badme” regardless of the expected outcome. In the meantime, the small real-estate holds the livelihood of millions as a hostage. At this moment, any sane person would choose to resolve the issue after a normal situation prevails in the region.

Prime Minister Abiy is somehow reiterating the same circular position unless he manages to pull the Ethiopian troops from the Eritreans territories as stipulated in the EEBC ruling. But that doesn’t seem in the horizon because the Tigray ruling party (TPLF), a partner in the ruling Ethiopian ruling party (EPRDF), is stating in so many words, that dialogue is the underlying precondition. It is a standstill unless the stalemate is creatively broken.

We have addressed this deadlock many times before and we will reiterate our past position once more.

If there is a genuine wish to resolve the impasse, instead of handing the case to jingoists and politicians with narrow agendas in a silver platter to exploit, then there is a common-sensical way out. There is no official difference of views between the two countries as far as the EEBC ruling is concerned, except in minor places in the central sector of the boundary which is virtually demarcated–a cheap GPS would show every inch of the territory, and where every village lies, and what its fate is according to the EEBC ruling . However, neither Ethiopia nor Eritrea has publicly published the names of the villages that are the cause of the much-publicized political quagmire.

Nevertheless, we would like to emphasize that the proposed solutions do not resolve the underlying cause of the war in itself: currency, money laundering, illicit trade, internal interference, etc. However, we also believe what is being debated in both countries is a good starting point towards normalizing neighborly relations.

Finally, we have said it in the past, and we say it again, that the close to 95% of the undisputed boundary should be immediately demarcated, and if there remains a minor section of un-demarcated boundary, around Zalambessa, Tserona, and Irob region, where the affected villages that risk displacement are located, the issue can be discussed with a commitment to resolve it in many ways, within a fixed time span so that it doesn’t drag on indefinitely. This, we believe can be accomplished in a few weeks time if not in a few days. Thereafter, the two sides can leave the issue behind and the two people can focus on what really matters: peace, cooperation, and development projects.

About Awate Team

The Awate Team is a group of individuals who collaborate in preparing editorial contents that mainly appear under the PENCIL signature and other columns that carry the Awate Team signature. It represents the collective team's view.

Selam Awatista, an update of current events:
-some 20 people, including the deputy police commisioner for Addis, appeared in court after the bomb explosion on Saturday and 30 suspects are being held/Reuters
-The FBI is aiding in the investigation/Reuters
-A delegation from Asmera is expected to arrive this week in Addis Abeba/Reuters

Hi Abi: No disagreement there with you. My point has always been this: Peace with Ethiopia is important more for Eri than Ethiopia. Ethiopia has proved that it can survive and thrive without Eri as the last 16 years have shown. If peace reigns Ethiopia will prosper even more as the new government seems to be serious about the change. All that is good. Horizon has captured it well; implications more than I did. Nice one Horizon.

Now my lenses are how meaningful is the peace for Eritrea’s justice. If the peace deal goes smooth there will be some bread, some tiny let up to fool the gullible Eritreans to their slaughter house, new investment initiative, releasing of the likes of Senayit Debessai, Aster Yohannes, who are no political prisoners. And if history is any guide the new grand narrative will be that PFDJ made some changes, money will flow from the European Muzungus, and the regime will strengthen its grip. Yes, if the border issue is solved in the right way, it will help some people who are stuck in the border debacle, but in terms of the century old Eritrean aspiration, it will be squashed. This peace deal could not have come at more right time for DIA but gullible Eritreans do not hold your breath for the following to happened
: 1. Demobilization and returning the NS to the sane length of 18 months 2. Do not wait for the release of prisoners, that will never happen 3. Do not except the implementation of the const because all 3 will mean the end of IA and his grip The opposition is dead, it was walking dead, now it it will go to its enteral repose unless it can pull magic from under its sleeves, which is less likely scenario PFDJ is a mafia group and in the late 1988 when I was in high school it has complete control in the eastern Sudanese towns, they kidnapped, they killed and now it has complete control in kassal and they can kidnap from Khartoum if the person is important to them, They also did the same in Addis and Ethiopia in the early 1990 and if the peace means return to that then PMAA has failed The war did not start with badme, it did not even start with the currency issue, although it coincided with it, it did not even start because of the ports, Ethiopia has access to it and Eri was making money, it started when EPRDF saw that their country was increasingly sabotage by IA
The Eritrean people are upbeat about the peace, it is innately human to hope but it is shocking to me that the hope is borders on the delusion give our lack of learning from the past behavior. Once again theis peace will protract the PFDJ rule, the havoc, the mayhem, the suffering

Paulos

Semerile,

Well said fratello!

Nitricc

HI Semere; you said ” in the late 1988 when I was in high school” witch high school did you go? be carful and remember what you have said before. I don’t ambush people instead I give them the rope. Now, would you please tell which high school you have attended? Make sure it fits with story you told about being accepted to the royal university of Canada. lol it is fun.

iSem

Nitricc:
Do not go memory to memory with me, u will lose specially about my own
What do u want to know, i will answer it

Nitricc

Hi Semere; please tell us the name of the high school. Don’t worry about my English; answer the freaking question. You are fat lire and I can prove it. what a loser.

iSem

Nitricc:
Your rope is useless, a one celled person cannot even handle a rope
Ask Gheteb, I went to the same high school as him but 10 years later
I want u to expose my lies if u do that I will increase ur brains cell by one, meaning I will double it for u

Berhe Y

Dear iSem,

Let’s say the intended peace with Ethiopia happened?

From Eritrea opposition point of view (anyone and everyone who oppose the regime) do you think our fighting the regime situation will be better off than it’s today?

Personally I think we will be better off fight to fight the regime with the little hope that we gain. And how to exploit this opportunity will be up to us.

Remember, how the Ethiopians got where they are. EPRDF / TPLF opened the door slightly, like holding elections (how ever joke the outcome was), bringing people to court, admitting people they arrest, giving international community visitation, allowing etc…Those small openings are where the people exploit to their advantage to create a crack to the system. Had EPRDF ruled with Iron fist, kill and arrest anyone and everyone in it’s way, then the change we are witnessing in Ethiopia will be impossible or it would have costed a lot more lives.

So I think that’s what we have and that’s what we need to work with.

Berhe

iSem

Hi BY:
I agree if what you say will happen. I am arguing, it will not happen. PFDJ will continue to rule with the same even repress more if they find more money, they will be totalitarian (Sal and GHagos will agree then), what is missing now is they do not have the resources. If they open a little, that is different story. I am betting, they will not. Of course there will be some jobs, allow some construction permits, release the likes of Senayit Debessai as I said. I am betting, they will not release the surviving G-15 and not even Dawit Issac, if he is released, he will leave and write about his experience and the torture and he wil find media exposure in Sweden, he will win prizes etc
EPRDF?TPLF say what u will but they had a vision to slowly open, the knew if they repress will be dangerous
I am betting the opposition will worse off, unless ofcoirse we invent a new way to fight the new reality
If the peace deal goes and relations are normalized, Ethiopia cannot host armed Eri opposition, it cannot. I wrote before that the best place to run armed struggle is the “Wild West” that is Sudan is even if Sudan bans them there are ways to do it, and Eri have more experience how to that in Sudan than in Ethiopia for many reasons
When the Asmara University students opposed the government the people said, the government will be measured for fear of the young and we know what it did to them. So if you are braising for some tiny window, do not
You are right that is what we have, my point is the comparison what EPRDF did and what PFDJ will do will not be same. EPRDF did what it did while the clouds of war hang over head, PFDJ did not and even as many suggested the border may never be demarcated and they will continue to use the excuse but still maintaining relationship (meaning peace for PFDJ, money for PFDJ) and leaving the border as it is. I remind you that Badme was under TPLF since 1981

Berhe Y

Dear iSem,

I am not betting that they will do, that’s is make life better for Eritreans. No IA will not absolutely, so disagreement there.

What I am saying, any window, even the window that shows, Ethiopia is no longer an excuse, we have to use it in order to wage a fight against the regime.

Ethiopia is occupying our land and it needs to accept the rule of law, is different argument with, we are not going to demobilize because we fill like it.

At least that’s what I think, off course, even Ghetib, the adulisian is praising “Ethiopia wey mot” now, there is no hope from a PFDJ.

“Had the EPRDF ruled with iron fist, kill and arrest anyone and everyone in its way…”

The what are we to make of the thousands and thousands of political prisoners the PMAAA administration just released? And worst the forgiveness for the numerous Ethiopian lives lost under the EPRDF prior to PMAAA?

As for ዓይኑ ስውር iSEM, give him a little time to be weened of the gloom and doom. His problem is the bullying of the PFDJ and their number and now his bleek outlook of Ethiopian might added scares him up to the point where he seriously considers taken refuge in his moma’s womb. No faith whatsoever on truth, love and trust overcoming any evil in spite of their goliath size. Baby boy while at Unesco Kessela in ’88, the “do right PFDJ” opposition was fierce not ti far away from Niagra Falls Peace Bridge. He should confirm with his Alma Mater fellow ገጠብ። I suspect FAITH was in short supply in Kessela with the exception of the Admiral of course.

And there will be no letting up on awaking the Eritrean Consciousness as the time is and will be conducive real soon. You are right to contemplate such thoughts, but give your buddy time to ween of his addictions particularly ብ ሻዕብያ ዝተዳህሎ ዕሸል ኮሎ ኣብ ከሰላ። ባዕሉ አኳ ሓገዝ ሃቡኒ ዲሂሎምኒ ኢዮም አናበለ ይጽሕፍ ኣሎ፡ ኣስተውዕል። ካብ ድሁል ኣድሕነና፡ ንድሁል ከኣ ምሕረት ኣውርደሉ፡ ኣሜን።

ወርቃዊት መጠን 1.618 ፨ ጎልደን ሬሽዮ ሓድነት ነጥቢ ትሽዓተ ዓሰርተ ሸሞንተ 9.18.01
ጻጸ

Amanuel Hidrat

Selam Ras Abi,

ያንተ ነገር ችግርነው:: ቀልዱን ቁምነገሩን መለየት አቅቶናል:: ያምሁኖ የጠየቅኩህ ነገር መልስን ብትሰጠን ጥሩነበር:: In fact I was not criticizing you, rather I gave you the detailed parameters for better evaluation to the progress that was made in the last 27 years. From that we can talk what Ethiopians could be done going forward. Most of the forumers in the debate are “single issue” people, who are interested about who should be in power. Governments and the progress they made, are evaluated by many issues and not by single issue that matters to individual citizen. For some on constitutionalism, for others institutional function, and some for democracy or economic developments. Since these all are the duty and responsibilities of governments to work on them and monitor the progress that are made, then as citizens you have to take those parameters to evaluate your leadership as a package. Not only by single issue that matters them.

Ras Abi,
I think you should go for less eating of meat and more thinking if you want valuable in this discourse. Always “the 6% mess up and the 94% clean up” kind of thinking comes from corners that are more obsessed with meating than meeting. AGAIN would say Ethiopian history teaches us about two kinds of Roses: the mean and the brave. An Ethiopian Ras of the 19th century was on record leaving a will that instructed his associates to bury him with his left hand sticking out to collect taxes. On the other hand Ras Abebe was a commander of the Ethiopian forces during the 2nd Italian invasion. His forces were fighting bravely but the Italians had superior fire power from surface and the skies. On top of that, the Italian aircrafts were spraying poison gas. His commanders came to him seeking advice. “Ras, what do we do now, our men are perishing.. be meriet emat.. ke lai Chris’s mere..” Well, said Ras Abebe, AG’s hero man, “we continue fighting. Engidih motten aniTebiqachew..”
Ras Abi of the 21st Century, says, “we continue eating, engidih Teriben aniTebiqachew”

Abi

Hayat
Good night 😘

saay7

Hayat:

I don’t know what you and Abi are arguing about; the upvote is to approve the application of historical figure (of people I don’t know) to people I kinda know (via discussion forum.) I like to think Abi likes it too. One thing about Ras Abi though: he is not just meating; he is also dabo-ing.

saay

saay7

Alex:

Maybe because I find his fearlessness–expressing his opinion, popular or unpopular, using his full name, displaying his picture, writing, talking–very rare in Eritrean discourse and very appealing. And while Eritrean landscape is full of analysts, he is that rare synthesist. If you disagree with his premise, and I do, his reasoning is, like Hayat’s, pristine. People forget he was a regular writer here at awate. I have just shelved that Big One we disagree about in the Do Not Open box for the sake of our joint struggle.

Also, I am in the same interview with him in asmarino interview I mentioned so you can have a side-by-side comparison.

” I think this is what I was trying to say when I said he is changing the Ethiopian narrative. But while changing a culture is slow, the decisions you have to take to indicate that you are serious about your intent to change the culture must be bold and fast and, again, that’s exactly what he is doing. “Saay7

It is imperative that both dominant Eritrean Narratives be recognized as passe’. The Imperative narrative ’17 and Counter Narrative 2018 should be heeded by those who consider themselves Eritrean Opposition as well as those who are and sympathetic supporters of the Eritrean dictatorial regime. The climate in Ethiopia and environs is an excellent candidate for the impregnation of an entirely new and fresh counter narrative. Anything short of this at this crucial time not only political and financial prostitution of the worst kind by self serving individuals and groups but also actions and attitudes or futile exercise for any self respecting gains.

Ampe data is being gathered as well as numerous personalities are being exposed naked by these unconscious ramblings and stumblings in their navigations of unfamiliar rough waters due to the catalyst that is primarily driven by the PUMA PMAAA of Ethiopia.

ወርቃዊት መጠን 1.618 ጎልደን ሬሽዮ ሓድነት ነጥቢ ትሽዓተ ዓሰርተ ሸሞንተ 9.18.01

ጂት ጻጸ ካውንተር ናራቲቨ 2018 2ጸ + ናይ ሳኣኣይ 7 = 27
ጻጸ

‘Gheteb

Howdy Sol,

Gotta a question here. How does ጻጸ-ism fits into the Eritrean national narrative otherwise known as Eritreanism? And, how does the golden ratio (ወርቃዊት መጠን) figure into the ጻጸ-ist chronicles or ጻጸ’s ካውንተር ናራቲቨ?

saay7

Hey Cuz Gheteb:

Since I understand the GiAnt TsaTse only 10% of the time, I feel ill-equipped to answer this penetrating question. I yield the balance of my time to the honorable gentleman from Oakland/Berkeley.

Why reinvent the wheel. Eritreans can give their full support to and utilize the entire blue print from PMAAA and apply it on their own circumstance. Essentially PFDJ = TPLF. What we are observing these days, in a much amplified way, is the same thing Eritreans have done for the past two decades. Prostate themself for the use of PFDJ and TPLF. In this case by Eritreans I mean those who consider themselves Eritrean opposition pro TPLF and those who are pro PFDJ. In the name of Eritreans or for the sake of Eritreans/Eritreanism have been the main culprits and wood for the fire that has burned the “silent majority” (loosley).

For now that is the jist of it or what it boils down to.

What is the entire blue print of PMAAA then?

ወርቃዊት መጠን 1.618 ጎልደን ቴሽዮ ሓድነት ነጥቢ ትሽዓተ ዓሰርተ ሸሞንተ 9.18.01
ጻጸ

Abraham H.

Selam All, if there are any gullible Eritreans who believe that DIA is sending a delegation to Addis to resolve the state of no war no peace or the issue of border demarcation, you better think twice. Now that DIA has the remote feeling of being the ‘goblel of the horn of Africa’, his mission to Addis, as could be understood from his speech, is to act like the saviour of Ethiopia during these troubled times. It is actually a bit distressing to witness this too much flirting from PM Abiy to DIA; actually it is embarrassing and insulting to the Eritrean people who have suffered so much under this cruel dictator. Now that DIA essentially owns Eritrea, actally for more than a decade now, whatever agreements he reaches with Abiy will be to the sole benefit of himself and his circle rather than to the interest of the Eritrean people. I don’t see any difference of the coming relationship between DIA and Abiy than the shady agreements he has with the UAE, Saudi A, and Egypt. As we speak, our port city of Assab is sold to UAE, our natural resources like precious metals are being exploited, and our Red Sea fish and resources are being exploited on industrial scale only to enrich the pockets of our tormentor.

Alex

Hi Abraham H.
All you comments are is DIA did this and that always. Please change it once for change. it is not I want to defend him though.

‘Gheteb

Hi Abraham H.,

You say:

” if there are any gullible Eritreans who believe that DIA is sending a delegation to Addis to resolve the state of no war no peace or the issue of border demarcation, you better think twice”.

You are absolutely right, the Eritrean delegation to Ethiopia won’t be discussing “the state of no war no peace or the issue of border demarcation”. You should never put stock in the SURMISALS and speculations of the purblinded PFDJ tea leaf readers, of the anti-Eritrean Ethiopians in this Forum and their anti-PFDJ Eritrean adulators. Notwithstanding their avowals of sureties, their conjectures are nothing more than shots in the dark.

The Eritrean delegation’s visit is simply a get to know session where the interlocutors from both countries may touch base on basic things such as the re- establishment of relations and the exchange of ambassadors.

You, also, wrote:

” It is actually a bit distressing to witness this too much flirting from PM Abiy to DIA; actually it is embarrassing and insulting to the Eritrean people who have suffered so much under this cruel dictator”.

Allow me to thoroughly disabuse here. What PM Abiy thinks of His Excellency President Isaias Afwerki is NOT based on some baseless information gleaned from some Eritrean also-rans who have been wandering in the Eritrean political wilderness for a long time. PM Abiy’s sources about PIA are from those Ethiopians who have had a close encounter with PIA and who have come to recognize his unwavering stances regarding Ethiopia’s unity and Eritrea’s contribution to the struggle of the Ethiopian people that has catapulted Abiy to the helm.

You claim unabashedly that:

“our port city of Assab is sold to UAE”.

Really? How much did it fetch? What was the original price. Please, next time do me a favor. Don’t write something you can never back up and quit making bizarre claims.

Finally, you have been vociferating ad nauseum about “DIA this”, “DIA that” and “DIA there”, these days. The emerging rapprochement between Eritrea and Ethiopia has turned a full blown MONOMANIA that has rendered you incapable of speaking or writing about any other issue.

Abraham H.

Selam Gheteb, I’m not expressing my views based on others’ opinions as you are indicating here; intellectual slavery or worship mentality is for the likes of you. Only yesterday, your master DIA was preaching no dialogue without Badme, without demarcation, and now you are parroting his complete reversal of position without even questioning. Remember we neither got Badme nor demarcation. Also I think if PM Abiy is wise enough, he would understand that DIA cannot be a reliable partner, when he has witnessed first hand the degree of suffering the Eritrean despot has caused on his own people. The inundation of Ethiopian refugee camps by Eritreans running away from DIA’s strangulation is proof enough to the PM about the devilish nature of DIA.
PS: Alex, sorry for boring you with my repetitive comments about DIA; but to me no one in the history of Eritreans has caused so much suffering, that I can’t help denouncing him in all my comments. Aslo please, remember you may just ignore my comments, you don’t have to read or look at my boring comments.

saay7

Abe:

I think I understand the sense of urgency of your message. If I can paraphrase it, your message (now to Ethiopians including their PM) is: “I know you know the Eritrean dictator is bad; but he is a lot worse than you can even conceive. He is the worst.” YG was interviewed by Asmarino (just published) and he expresses the same view (that PM Abiye may be a bit naieve.) Elsa Chyrum wrote an open letter to remind the PM (respectfully): remember, the last time Isaias was given free rein in Eritrea: they had safe houses where they held kidnapped Eritreans and tortured killed and buried them.

The ጋንታ ሸፍኖ ሸፋፍኖ may not be happy that you keep writing that but I for one am very grateful that you are keeping the memories of the brutes victims alive and with persistence we may deny him more victims. After all the first thing he did after “normalization of relations with Sudan” was to go on targeting his enemies. The man, like wolf in Russia which thrives after Chernobyl, is his natural self only in calamities.

saay

Amanuel Hidrat

Selam Abraham,

The debate between “person loyalist’ and “issue loyalist” doesn’t go anywhere. The person loyalists, who are the nusu nihna are not here to debate on issues. You know them by now. Do not be discouraged. You are doing a good fight against the naked king of PFDJ, the evil man and his enablers, the cause of the plight of our people. Your warning to the PM of Ethiopia and the Ethiopian people is right on. A leader who betrayed his people is not difficult to betray them. When they say we are not going to discuss about the border, we are going to study the situation of Ethiopia is ploy in the making. The young leader when he sits with the team of the despot, he must have from people who new him very well in his team. Issayas is a poison to his people and is a poison to the region. So Abe, the warning red flag is appropriate to the new leaders of Ethiopia who are not familiar about our despot and his Machiavelli tactics. Stand tall and continue in exposing the evils of the man.

‘Gheteb

Hi Abraham H.,

You say:

“Remember we neither got Badme nor demarcation”.

Were you expecting to get Badme and the border in a matter of a week or less than a week? I know you hail from Planet Illogic, but now I am getting convinced that you are also living outside our galaxy and in a totally parallel universe.

Let me just remind you that such things take time and it won’t happen any time soon. Just check what is transpiring in Ethiopia. Moreover, let just bring back something that happened in 1991 that involves Ethiopia, Eritrea and the US State Department.

Even though Eritrea has become a de facto independent country, it did NOT declare it’s independence immediately nor did it hold its referendum forthwith. Why?

The main worry was the STABILTY of Ethiopia under the Weyanes. The Foggy Bottoms folks insisted on Eritrea delaying its independence declaration for 2 years to give the Weyanes time and Ethiopia won’t rent asunder because of Eritrea’s declaration of independence.

My six sense is telling me that something similar is transpiring in regards to the Ethio-Eritrean demarcation issue. Remember, we have three actors here and nothing much has changed when it comes to Ethiopia, Eritrea and the modus operandi of Foggy Bottoms.

iSem

Hi Abraham;
The problem with PFDJ supporters has never been on principle, it is not like our difference is ideological. Take for example the person u are debating with: he has the same admiration for IA since he was in high school late 1970s. Since then IA has demonstrability committed crimes and even some of his ardent supporters like Petros Solomin and Haile D criticized him in a measured tone and we know what happened to them.

But the person u debating with insulted the G-15, Amb Anderbrahn calling him Aba Kebdu. And the person u are debating with, I know for fact he has joined EPLF and when the going got tough he defected, now pontificating from his comforts in one of the Carolinas and shuttling between Keren and USA when he feels like it. And bragging about how intimidated the anti-PFDJ commenters here at awate.com
It is not the difference of opinions on the border the problem, but the lack of basic truth in the supporters. Did you notice how the person u are debating with span the story—the demarcation will take long time for the sake of Ethiopia. No decency at all, no iota of reminding IA his responsibility.
I am sure that the person you are debating with will have no problems, if we do not get Badme as long as whatever deal they strike sooths the wounded ego of IA. He will not give a hoot if the prison of Ela- Ero is expanded t, he will even rejoice if IA says tomorrow that Assab is Ethiopian and he will pivot ,he will bring some obscure anthropology that show Assab was Ethiopia during the

What is needed in Eritrea is to change the mentality: MZ changed the mentality of how people think when he said he will resign, he did not do it, but still was good, and people, young ppl know that there is something called resignation or not running for office for ever. PMHD resigned, again a tiny shift in thinking. Now AAA is talking about things that will also make a dent in the thinking of this generation, there is no going back in Ethiopia, the road maybe littered with bombs but there is no going to yester years. Some will try, but it will not be good for them nor for the country
Emma and Sal were discussing about forgiveness and one of them mentioned that Eritrean Bitweded talked about forgiveness and political diversity long time before Abi. But the point is no one said Eri lacks visionary leaders except the likes the person u is debating. Problem is Eri has a knack for bringing to the top the crooks and disappearing men and women with vision, in Ethiopia the opposite seems to be the opposite since they got rid of dergi
Think about this now. Peace gets signed but the problems in Era remain the same, Eritrea still flock to escape the IA’s slavery, what does PMAAA do with the refuges: doe he hosts them, if he does what does this do to his relationship with DIA? If he does not accept them, what doe this do to our youth You cannot depend o Sudan.
So again, despite the chest pounding of the supporters about what they call the victory of Eritreanism, they are really saying the triumph of IA because any peace that does not have an impact in the internal repression is meaningless. Look how your debated pivoted to “it will take long time for the sake of Ethiopia”

If the border issue is solved to liking of the people who were at the receiving end of the stalemate, I have no problem with it. But I will not celebrate like the morons until its resolution results in the following:

1. Since the conflict is resolved, demobilize the youth and annul the NS: Instead create a professional army so good that people will be compete ting to join

2.Shut down the Sawa school that hots kidnapped underage kids so students can go to high school while living at home

3. And implement the Const

4. Release all political and consciousness prisoners

But like your debater hinted from he voices he heard form his six sense this will take long time for the sake of Ethiopia. Yea! the demobilization of NS recruits has something to do with the stability of Ethiopia.

You raised an important question. Peace is signed – conditions within eritrea more or less remains the same – even the limitless military service may continue – and more refugee flow to places like ethiopia, etc. Ethiopia will have no say after signing the agreement – dia will call it an internal eritrean issue of a sovereign country, – and pm Abiy will be stuck with the refugees and may be many more issues.

Change towards democracy, the end of military service or a limit to the number of eritreans in uniform, guarantee for the safety of eritrean refugees if they go back home, etc are not criterias in the negotiation for peace. I am not sure if ethiopia can say after signing the agreement without any guarantees that she cannot feel secure with eritrea, if she continues as she is, or if ethiopia can force dia/pfdj retrospectively to some sort of concessions after the deal is done. May be ethiopian officials are going to regret for the second time for their visionless signature?

What is ethiopia really going to do with the refugees that are already there, and those who would continue to come in the future? Is she going to force them out and close her borders instead of opening it? Dia may demand the refugees back, but they are not going to be safe, he can’t stop the continuing exodus, and even if he promises he is going to guarantee their safety, eritrean refugees are not going to trust him. It is really a riddle that would be difficult to solve. And more, what if the exodus escalates?

The question is can ethiopia put some criteria that could ensure real and permanent peace, and may bring normalcy to eritrea? Expecting peace and democracy from a person who does not believe in both may end up in a big disappointment.

Well, he is not in a nothing to lose position anymore. He understands that once he become a puppet (his dream job), he no longer have the privilege to write his own to do list. Now that list will come from Saudi Arabia and USA at least as far as foreign policy concerned. I would say በፍንጭኡ unless the people who promise him to lift the sanctions are fools.

Peace!

‘Gheteb

Hi Peace!

You wrote:

” once he become a puppet (his dream job), he no longer have the privilege to write his own to do list”.

A “puppet” and PIA? Let me make this abundantly clear. The EPITHET puppet and Isaias Afwerki do not go together. They don’t mix like oil and water. Say whatever you will about the man, but he is the ANTITHESIS of a puppet. He is anything but.

You are also saying ” በፍንጭኡ”, but you seem oblivious to the fact that 16 years have elapsed when we have witnessed that PIA to have never flinched even an inch on the Ethio-Eritrean issue. ” በፍንጭኡ” , my foot!

See you can’t prove me wrong without treating Eritrea as DIA’s personal property. I, or any reasonable person, would expect you to say- no he is not a puppet because we do have separation of power, an independent court in case the president violates the constitution, and almost anything must be approved by the parliament. But instead you said “puppet and Isaias Afwerki do not go together. They don’t mix like oil and water” really shocking can’t even say more.

And then you added

“the fact that 16 years have elapsed when we have witnessed that PIA to have never flinched even an inch on the Ethio-Eritrean issue. ” በፍንጭኡ” , my foot!”

Well, once the US dumped him despite relentless lobbying ( come over here our mountains are similar to the mountains tora-Bora in Afgnistan I can be a good puppet too) he had no choice but to act as a nothing to lose monster. The years you mentioned are the years he disowned his own people including those who perished in the Mediterranean sea (Africans not Eritreans). Again shocking have no more to say

Things have now changed and his yes men are in DC for job training- how to take orders and do it as advised without flinching even an inch.

Peace!

‘Gheteb

Hi Peace!,

You got it all mixed up what a leader of a country who is deemed to be a puppet and the type of government he leads. My friend, a puppet is:

” a person, party, or state under the control of another person, group, or power”.

Now go back and read what you have written and I am telling you that you make absolutely no sense whatsoever. Not having all the democratic accouterments does NOT render a leader of a country, such as his Excellency President Isaias Afwerki Abraham, to be labelled with epithet PUPPET. On the contrary, it is his fierce independence and his unwavering desire to be or seem like no other but like himself and Eritrea.

Early in the seventies Tegadalay Isaias has famously echoed his fierce independence when he said something in the order of:

Sure, Eritrea lobbied the US to have a base in Eritrea. The Department of Defense, The Pentagon, was all for it until folks from Foggy Bottoms nixed the idea. The US Eritrean deal would have been similar to that of KSA/UAE deal with Eritrea. Nothing new and nothing earth-shattering here.

My friend, Peace!, there ain’t nothing in this case to write home about.

You wrote:

” Things have now changed and his yes men are in DC for job training- how to take orders and do it as advised without flinching even an inch”.

Wrong. Wrong, again. You are no where close to know the going-ons as you have no access to “his yes men” now in DC. The one person who have talked to PIA advisors is the lady from the Atlantic council, Bronwyn Bruton who has bruited that they expressed AMBIVALACE about the US Eritrea relation and that nullifies your outlandish claim that they are taking orders. If you must know taking orders from other country lraders is NOT one of the attributes of ShaEbia.

Simon Kaleab

Selam Gheteb,

‘Peace’ has to say something for the sake of it, without proper reflection.

Isaias is not a puppet, but he is like a shopper and a bargain hunter always fishing for the best deals [based on his perceptions].

Peace!

My dearest Hope,

Yes, there are tones of clues for point fingering and accusations, but the bottom line is the smoother the transition in Ethiopia goes the better for the entire region. Sorry can’t add more….driving:)

Peace!

Hayat Adem

Ras Abi,
Song of peace from the person who loves meatball would have been believable except that this same person also was happy of the no relationship and expressed his intention of building a 50ft wall on the border between two cousins.
By the way, AG told me 38% of the sacrifice paid during the Badime war on the Ethio side was all from Tigrayans. You see: you want to call them 6% when it comes to the power share but they always carry close to half of the price in protecting your country from invasions.
Now, you seem to be overselling your interest in peace more than the people of both sides who paid dearly during the conflict and who can benefit in more ways than you if peace comes. Those people at the border depend on each other even for minimum life basics a meatball lover would not care to understand.
I love you more.

Amanuel Hidrat

Selam Ras Abi,

Since 1991, Ethiopia has been moving in the right direction. You have made a notable progress. Keep in mind in a social change “progress” always lags behind “expectation”. Your grading is based on public expection so your grade “c” is satisfactory enough. If you grade separately the items Kim has listed and other unfulfilled tasks, the average grade would have come either C+ or B-. Don’t hear the downers.

Can I ask you to grade the progress that are made in the last 27 years, in the following sectors.

a) the adherence to constitutionalism

b) the effectiviness of the institutions that are in place

c) the development in economic infra-structures (roads, railways, dams, distribution of electricity…etc)

d) the attraction of foreign and domestic investments

e) the expansion of education (universities, Technical colleges, high schools and elementary schools)

f) the expansion of health sectors( hospitals and clinics)

g) the expansion of industries (small and large) and the production forces that goes with it.

h) the development of political infra-structures that serves the political institutions.

I) the diplomatic acumen and their success in the international stage.

And please take as a baseline the 1991 development when they assume power. Kim, Horizon, Amde could share your views.

Regards

Paulos

Selam Professor A. Hidrat,

Are you sure you’re not a Weyane cadre? Tigreans bled and died so that all the above milestones you aptly laid out can bridge a better future for all the sons and daughters of all the Ethiopians here in this forum. And only heaven knows what they tell them about the fallen Tigreans who had chosen greatness in dying for a noble cause than fleeing the wounded nation under a brutal military regime [Dergue] for a better future somewhere else. Attila the Hun famously said, “Sacrifice is the passion of all great men.”

FishMilk

Hi Paulos. Hayat Adem is blatant in her support of the TPLF while you are latent in your support of the TPLF. However, you are both absolutely the same in content in that you never miss a heartbeat when it comes to defending the TPLF or commending the TPLF. You are fooling nobody.

Amanuel Hidrat

Selam Dr Paulos,

The “big success” of TPLF was “saving Ethiopia from disintegration” in 1991, when the institutions of Derg was halted and “power vacuum” was created, as they entered the city. Not only that, they were not even welcomed when they entered the city. They form an alliances of “EPRDF” and started from scratch “new institutions” and “new federal system” that gives “autonomy” to the Kilils, to stop the infighting Ethiopian social groups. The rest after that is simple. Any flaw on the functioning of the system, can be made an amendment as far as the “frame of the system” kept intact. This is a phenomenon achievements for them and the Ethiopian people at large.

Imagine! Imagine! if they would have been installed a “centralized unitary government” like ours, as it is envisioned in the 1997 constitutional document, they would have been disintegrated at that specific “junction of their history.” The only Ethiopian who recognize this achievement is Kim. The “wayane tag” will not be new to me, I was given in 1998, when I support the US /Rwanda proposal that calls the withdrawal of Eritrean army from Badume, until the case is taken to international court and demarcated ones for all. I am grown in a political culture of an organization that gives the freedom to speak your view. And here I maintain to have it, to speak my conscience what is right and what is wrong. That is the life I lived for. This is my motto: Do not contaminate the truth for political sake.

Ismail AA

Selam Aman H and Dr. Paulos,

One is aware, as both of you do as well, that expediency driven politicking become easy venture for successor generations after preceding ones rise up to the call of an historical era and pay whatever redemption and survival of a nation whose destiny hang on balance demand.

The fate of Ethiopia in 1991 was in such condition as Aman has eloquently summarized. I argue that the TPLF played a historical role in doing what was possible at the time: establishing a broad national front under EPRDF. This had saved the country from sliding to a new interregnum as the history of the country had recorded. Perhaps this may only be appreciated by those who know Ethiopia through its history and demographic set up.

One has to take into considerations many factors. When the present pm says that over the last 27 yrs we had state terrorism and corruption was common, it shows that things were not as rosy as told. To this one has to add the vote rigging (the infamous meto-be-meto), the use of excessive force to quell dissent, the many who were killed and assassinated, the thousands incarcerated, the about 30 bn dollars ethiopia received in aid over the last quarter century (amount that was much greater than what ethiopia received in all her history until 1991), the landlocking of ethiopia that cost ethiopia many gerds up to now due to port fees, the judiciary that was not free, the fact that ethiopia usually does not cover more than 15% of the cost of the infrastructures (except the gerd, i think) and the remaining amount is accumulating debt which if i can remember well is already around 50% of the gdp, health and education suffer quality wise, fdi attraction mainly due to the very low wage even by african standard and eviction of farmers from their lands without adequate compensation, etc, etc, should also be taken in to account when comparing with ethiopia of 1991, that just came out of the dictatorial derg regime, that brought 17 yrs of civil war and destruction and burdened ethiopia with debt that was many due to military equipment purchase for its war efforts and it is impossible to speak of any development.
All in all, despite the many drawbacks, i should say that the tplf era is better than the derg era. Nevertheless, compared with a better antagonist of the same level, i cannot say how much tplf may have received,

Amanuel Hidrat

Selam Horizon,

I gave you the parameters. it comprises all political, social, economical aspects for reading the “progress”and “retrogress” that are made in the last 27 years. You could add yours to it, but could you please grade them reasonably. Even if you want to criticize to TPLF or EPRDF, still it will help you to your argument. Just let us be factual not to one or two or three aspects, but in all aspects holistically in detail as framed in the above,

MS

HELLO ALL
My condolences to the loss of life in mesqel Adebabay, Addis Ababa, and my wishes of a speedy recovery for those who have been injured in the blast.
The PM’s speech was moving and sent a message of hope and unity across Ethiopia and beyond. The murderous act was definitely planned to thwart Dr.Abiy’s speech and maybe target him directly.
I scanned our forum and found some presumptuous and inconsiderate assertions of blaming the government of Eritrea. It is absurd to think so. It is also equally absurd to think the TPLF could have done it because there is nothing it would gain from it.
Whoever did it will be found, and until we know who was behind it, I think we need to avoid throwing accusations. Let the investigation take its course.
Coming to the demonstrations and the speeches, they were uplifting. I have not seen this big a sea of people. Dr. Abiy has finally found the tender chord of Ethiopians. He will need the support to clean up the mess, and Ethiopians are behind him. Better for those renegades to jump onto the bangwagon.

FishMilk

Hi Hayat Adem: ‘Nowhere to Run’ by Martha Reeves & Vandellas is a song the TPLF should now be listening to. TPLF & Associates’s couuruptly acquired businesses and property will be under scrutinous review. Anyone who wants to get fire sale discount prices on distressed real estate and ‘investment’ businesses in Addis Ababa and elsewhere outside of Tigray Region, your time is here.

Hayat Adem

Fishmilk,
Thst sounds so familiar. There is no point in fishing milk out of troubled waters. For one, the capability is not there. For another, it is not the path to success. For us the best thing is not cornering Tigreans. Not only that is not wise, it will make everyone pay a heavy price.

Mitiku Melesse

Hei, Hayat.
No need to corner them. Just tell them no more one ethnic first while the rest forced to entangled in ethnic policy by tplf cadres, medias. No more. Any one really wants this kind of crzay policy must a country free from other ethnic groups. And for that tplf has made a good strategy. Paragraph //megentell//

You are acting like Tigray way or the high way. We say we have enough for all of us. Just share as equally as humanly possible. Half budjgets for amhara , tow budjgest for Tigray is kind of obsolate strating yeasterday. In case you are confused the two budget thing i will explain. We have to governments one the tigray development which monopolizes Ethiopians wealth and the other tplf govrnment. The tplf government allocates all budjges for the all killils punishing sivirly the amharas wihil tigrary development pouring its unfair share to only Tigray.

I remember once they were confronted why tigray devlopment dont pay tax and monopolize the the whole economy of Mama Ethiopia. The answer :was what is this tigray tigray tigray! Tigray development projects gives job opportunity not only for tigrians but also for non-tigrians.. What is the prolem with you. Opps. One of us must be on drugs. Just like this crazy woyane woman said to me the did not shoot at you when i was mumbling why tigirnas soldiers coming to my place with so many weapons.

To see reality we have to take of our ethnic glasses.

FishMilk

Hi Hayat Adem. Make no mistake about it, property and lands corruptly & illegally obtained by TPLF & Associates will not be left in peace. The TPLF’s economic molestation of Ethiopia’s economy will neither be forgotten or forgiven. By the way, do you have a cheap hotel or two in Addis Ababa that you wish to sell?

FishMilk

Hi Hayat Adem. Who is talking about cornering Tigreans? The cornering willl be limited to TPLF & Associates.

In ethiopia and in eritrea as well, the future belongs to those who are ready to change. Those who continue to insist on the past modus operandi will wither away. Tplf and pfdj must change if they are going to have relevance in the future. There days in power are approaching/has approached their expiry dates. Ethiopians and eritreans are fed up of them as they are, and even the world community does not want them anymore. The world is fed up of their marxist – leninist philosophies of the past and the dilapidated.

Tplf must call for a region-wide assembly, conferences, etc. The first things it should decide upon are change in its name, which after 27 yrs in power continues to signify only its arrogance and ignorance and nothing else, the old guards (hardliners) should go home and be replaced by young tigrayans who do not carry the burden of field indoctrination and communist and maoist influences, and they are unspoiled. The new blood can discuss on the new concept of being part and parcel of ethiopia, the well being of tigrayans in the ethiopian state, their right to live and work anywhere they like in ethiopia, develop their region similar to others with the help of the federal government, and learn that they are equals among equals in the new ethiopia, and they must adjust themselves to the new situation.

If the old hardliners try to fight back, tigrayans should know that this group of people are fighting in vain for their narrow elitist/class interest, for power and money. This is against the interest of the ordinary tigrayans, and therefore they should not listen to their demand or support them in any way possible. They will be used and then forgotten as in the past. After all, the interest of the tigrayan people is in harmony with the interest of the rest of ethiopians. The rest of ethiopians should accept their tigrayan brothers and sisters with open arms, and ethiopians should never forget that what happened over the last quarter century is the work of elitist tplf, and not that of the people of tigray as a whole.

Hayat Adem

Kibur Ras,
This is later. As long as you are busy on those meats, Tplf will not worry about you. Keep celebrating events with more meats. You deserve a quieter time and space, your highness.

You are an idiot Sir. I have just wasted precious moments to read you and write these lines.
You can count on Ten Thousand Georges! you phoney Eritrean wanna be poser.

ወርቃዊት መጠን 1.618 ጎልደን ሬሽዮ ሓድነት-ነጥቢ-ትሽዓተ ዓሰርተ ሸሞንተ9.18.01

ጻጸ

Amanuel Hidrat

Ras Abi,

“ሙስና” ማለት በአማርኛ ምን ማለት ነው?

Abraham H.

Hope: because HGDEF is the most evil power of our region. Very simple

Hayat Adem

Ras Abi,
You made it worse. Don’t you want to correct yourself? The Tplf guys deserve some respect from you guys. They might worry for the wellbeing of Ethiopia more than you do and obviously the political life of their party Eprdf. If you love PM Abiy, you should know that he is the grandson of Tplf, and a direct descendant at that. And it seems you are not paying attention to his messages. Lol.
Certainly, the Tplf don’t need me to pray that God spares them from the raging and merciless punishment of the meatball eating and beer gulping guy. I think you both have history and know each other better. I don’t know how your modality of thinking works but You need to collect yourself a bit and tame your arrogance, my friend.

@george

Dear now inc

Unfortunately you seem to be one of those uninformed individuals. I don’t know if you know the history of eplf. Never in their history have they bombed civilians ever. On the other hand your favorite team Woyane/tplf is the culprit. I’m sure you know that for whatever reason you want to implicate Eritrea it’s not going to work it would never work because we the Sons and Daughters of Eritrea are watchful guarding our sovereignty from detractors.

‘Gheteb

Now inc,

Open your eyes and quit regurgitating your FALSE EQUIVALENCE here. The deputy Police Commissioner of Addis Ababa along with nine others from the police commission have been arrested in connection with the assassination attempt.

This is the case of TPLF/Weyane ” DEEP STATE” at work, if you ask me. But then again, you maybe one of those whose world view has turned topsy-turvy since the downfall of the Weyanes and you can’t read the bold writing in the wall.

@george

Dear…all
As a true disciple, mindless worshipper of PIA. I’m here to get my assessment and response in regards to his excellency’s response to Ethiopia. A lot of people are waiting for my answer. Some of these people are, the data driven and worshipper of American Empire, Excellency SAAY… members of the tplf doefender team…Berhe, paulosina, isem, aman… last but not least my favorite person in this website ever ABI, a man who doesn’t compromise his principal, sticks to what he believes who doesn’t back down for no one. It’s rather silly for you guys to expect from me to give any different answer than support the president! duh! I just told you I worship Him what else do you expect, you guys are just silly. But on a serious note, the main player in this game and actor is United States of America, nobody should forget that. It doesn’t matter which side of the aisle you are are, we are, whoele eastafrica because of United States. Our inability to understand, that the global power have a hand in every move. Ignoring that it’s just to our detriment. Remember that the only reason the tplf survived to this day is because they got paid by USA. Without their support that couldn’t last a day and you already know. Having said that, Yamamoto, probably told him, hey let’s move on, let’s get this done. one more thing and I want everybody to pay attention Miss brownie is no friend of Eritrea or Ethiopia, her main mission is and I know this for sure is to make sure American interests are protected especially American Image amongst Eritreans which is bad she plays the good guy. I’m on the record saying this Miss brownie is a phony. Any smart person would se through her. Going back to my point PIA got green light from USA. They already gave up woyane and they’re willing to let their favorite pet ,tplf slowly demise. PIA has been saying this for the last 20 years, the change would only come if tplf got the green light from USA that’s what just happened anybody who thinks otherwise it’s completely ignorant of the fact.

Amanuel Hidrat

Selam George,

You are pushing us to say something “we forget and forgive you” what you did to your brothers and sisters for the sake of our young generation. You are talking about “back stabbing” repeatedly. Do you remember your history to stab your brothers and sisters by allying with them. I don’t know who was the teacher and the student in back stabbing but you did it to us. You betray your brothers in the Khartoum agreement 1977 and 1979 and conspire against your brothers to forge an alliance with TPLF to kick us. When you did it we didn’t accuse you that you were wayane. For we know who you are.

So please do not throw a stone when you are living in glass house. We don’t defend wayane we defend the truth. Remember if you were in ghedli you ride TPLF to kill you sibling The young generation will soon know who cooperate with wayane to burry their brothers and sisters. Do not worry about it and don’t try to be በዓል አፍ ካብ በዓል ጣፍ:: we know each other. If you have good thing to say about the future of our country እቲ መድረኽ ንኹሉ ክፋት’ዩ::

Stop this childish talk and grow up please. The more you talk about wayane the more it shows your guts is shaken and the more you give them an internal pride. Let us keep our pride intact without crying wayane, wayane, wayane day in day out.

Amde

Hello Awatistas,

I think we should celebrate the phenomenally success rally yesterday.. none of this bomb talk.

We had millions of Ethiopians of every political persuasion come out, wave their flags, raise their voices, sing their songs and disperse peacefully. There have been no reports of fights or mobs. Even the public’s response to the bombing is exemplary.

We have found a leader that people don’t just begrudgingly accept, or respect, but actually love cutting across so many of our lines.

The bombing.. well it is no use speculating at this point. But what is happening in Ethiopia is a revolution disguised as internal reform. So as far as Ethiopian revolutions go, this one is still a blessing. Who knows – we may have regrets in a year, but for now it is exemplary.

It is amazing that a man we barely know existed six months ago has the fate of millions in his hands, so much so we fear an Abyss without our Abiy.

Let’s cheer up. It was a great and historical day yesterday.

Amde

Peace!

Hi Amdachen,

Thank you, so depressing to stick around. Have a nice weekends everyone.

Peace!

halafi mengedi

Amde,

thanks for providing a perspective.

Hm

Nitricc

Hi HM: you said ” thanks for providing a perspective” I don’t what prespect are you talking about. when Amde declared ” I think we should celebrate the phenomenally success rally yesterday.. none of this bomb talk.” Do you think if one of the dead was Amde’s son, daughter, father or mother, do you think he will say that. I found out his take to be very insensitive and disrespectful to the dead. At least he could have shown a little humanity rather than rejecting it. If you ask me, one life is too many to be lost. That is of course my perspective. Sure, it could have been much worse.

Amde

Selam Nitricc,

I understand what you are saying. But there were many that thought the country’s unresolved contradictions poured into a crowd of millions, would only result in social chaos. This is what underlies the thinking that without the intermediation of this group or that, Ethiopians are an assemblage of mutually recriminating seething masses.

This rally decisively put to bed this view of Ethiopia.

By all accounts the rally itself was a success. Remember, Abiy didn’t ask for it, but it was organized spontaneously as a counter protest to the threat of protest against his Algiers announcement. I think it has ended up cementing his position and the reform movement.

The link is nice one. As far as me concern, it is very confusing time… What matters is what next? Now, what will be practically going with this Ethiopian PM? Really, what matters most is, what will the next journey will he walk the talk, we all don’t know..

KS,,

Nitricc

Hey KS, you are right, no body knows where it ends. The Ethiopians, without knowing they may creating the next monster. All monsters are created by unwavering popular support. I am not saying PMAA is a monster but with kind of strong support there is a possibility. So, we will see. At this moment, things are muddy and confusing. who would have thought after TPLF arresting everyone who dare to speak under terrorism charge, yet, the same organization would commit such horrible act. I am assuming this is done by TPLF.

Kokhob Selam

Dear Nitricc,

That is okey . I also admire and love you. My parents thought me to say thank you to everybody,every event and learn form them. if I say thank you to PIA for killing his followers and expose himself, why not admire the people like Fessehaye who teach and show the perfect way. and you, you are the best for challenging all people and what makes me wonder about you is even you are challenging while knowing the truth.

KS,,

Nitricc

Hay KS: i am not sure if i understood your comment. The reason i voiced my warning to the Ethiopians that PMAA could turn to a monster is based on my observation. Not only the level of approval of PAMM and admiration this soon is troubling but the action that he has taken is equally concerning. For instance; the action he took against the leaders in Hawassa by firing the leaders at will and the same goes to Welayta as well as in Welqite. don’t you think should have been some kind of investigation, consolation and due process? The same thing happened yesterday, the police commissioner was giving updates in early sunday and by the afternoon on the same day, he was thrown in jail single handily by PMAA. Those kinds of actions are very troubling.I mean where is the due process and investigations? This how dictators and monstors created. I get that the man is fearless and taking several actions that is heaping the country on the right directions but his personal decisions in firing people and arresting without the due process is a red flag, if you ask me. When a leader is convinced that he is the only one knows what is the best for the country, pray. If prayer is not your thing, then watch what happen to Eritrea and PIA. that is all i am saying.

Paulos

Selam Amde,

Many thanks again for gracing the forum with a warm perspective. What impressed me the most is not the sheer magnitude of the crowd, the young PM’s response after the attack instead. In a spur of the moment where emotions were high, he displayed extraordinary composure when he captured an exalted moral clarity by staying loyal to his core philosophy—Love Thy Neighbor As Thyself. Truly, truly extraordinary!

Certainly the young PM is human. As such, it is easy for him to busk in a glory where often times it is intoxicating. If anything, as much as what happened yesterday was sad and tragic, it could be a lesson for him the fact that, there are still sworn enemies out there who want to see the people he is trying to inspire fall apart.

He is the leader of a section of this world not the leader of “The City of God” if I could borrow St. Augustine. One of my favorite dictum of “Realism” goes: “Man owns immortality for his salvation here-after, the nation doesn’t own immortality for its salvation is here or never.” May God bless and protect the young PM!

Amde

Selam Paulos,

Eloquent as usual.

Hopefully he pans out. What i like about him is his humility and class. “He had me at እግዚአብሄር ያክብርልኝ” He resonates with the public’s value. The policies continue to be a surprise bonus.

I keep thinking “Great Leaders are made by Great Mothers”. I wish his mother was there to see how the people have accepted him.

Amde

saay7

Sir Amde:

Have you seen “The Death of Stalin”? Yeah, of course you have: you know everything:) Anyway, it is dark comedy: there is a scene after the death of Stalin where the central committee members are cut-throating each other for the top post and one of them invites the bishops (bishops!) to pay their respects to Stalin. So, um, do you think Abiye’s “እግዚአብሄር ያክብርልኝ” is political posturing or real. I will take my answer off the air.

saay

Amde

Haha ክቡር saay

ኢት ኢዝ ሪል!!

Politically expedient for sure, but very real. He is a ጴንጤ who grew up reciting the QurAn. His friends are protestant pastors. And as you know, believe the real work is internal, and believe in God being busy in the here and now (as opposed to the hereafter). So, his journey implies he has made definite internal dialogue about faith and life.

The mystery is not that his rhetoric is popular. It is that this person came out of EPRDF and OPDO at that. Just three months ago, FM stations in Addis which signed off by saying “እግዚአብሄር ኢትዮጵያ ለዘለለም ይባርክ” or some derivative of that were in trouble and accused of being “የድሮ ስርአት ናፋቂዎች”. All this ኢትዮጵያ ለዘላለም ትኑር language is anathema to much of the Oromo movement of the past 50 years, who draw a line on the ዘላለም part and see Ethiopia as strictly transactional and conditional. So everytime he says it, he is exposing himself politically.

His oratory is that of a man of letters. The speech he gave at Mesqel square has internal rhythm and alliteration. I think I posted a link to a talk at a writers event.
Setting his politics aside, I think his political speeches may be breaking new ground.

Amde

Teodros Alem

Selam amde
1st, there is no prove that he is panta except his wife seen singing panta music.he use the word “fatare” .Hmd was a panta,
Pm AAA speech and poltical views r nothing to do with religion . his political views r the same with that of the vast majority of ethiopians which u have no clue about it.
any way yesterday the ethiopan people’s show the world who and what kind of character they love and hate.end of story. It is clear and everybody can see it.
And it is also clear what kind of enemy they r facing.
I say to u guys(tigraians) similarity of culture , religion or language don’t make people the same . the way i read most of u, ur psychological values(mindset) and the rest of ethiopians r not just different, it looks like the opposite,
U see that in poltics and everything.

saay7

Selam Teodros:

Aren’t you a fan of PM Abiye? Haven’t you heard of his slogan of መደመር? Why is every post you have here a war with someone? I asked Amde a direct question and he answered it. If you have something to ADD to it (and correction is a form of addition) do so. Otherwise, I am afraid this forum may not be a good match for you because you seem to misunderstand what it was designed for. You sometimes have new information that would be valuable to the readers but it’s always surrounded with thorns. Clip it and learn to communicate with civility or moderators less patient than me will show you the door.

saay

Teodros Alem

Selam Saay7
Am sorry u see it that way, he is the one trying to paint pm AAA views(speech) as a panta religion and than to keep up the divide.
And nobody see Pm AAA views as such except ….. . and the people reaction is the witness.

saay7

Selam Teodros:

It’s not just Amde. It’s KH. It’s Abi. It’s Berhe. It’s iSem. Your language needs to be pruned. I understand the aggressive tone is common in other discussion forums, but we try to be better here. My observation, including on comments we were forced to delete, is that you personalize everything and you are suspicious of everyone here. Try to approach each post with an open mind. Again, read the posting guidelines in the front page of this website and notice how many of them you break regularly.

Saay

Teodros Alem

Selam Saay7
Sorry again i gave u hard time, i will take ur advice and adjust my language.

Eyob Medhane

Sal,

Thank you.

saay7

Selamat Eyob:

Yes, I forgot, he attacked you too.

Teodros, read our posting guidelines. They are in the homepage and they are very direct.

saay

Amanuel Hidrat

Selam Sir Amde,

Can deep religious individuals play the game of real politics to lead a nation with compromise and being decisive on what they want to accomplish? Can deep religious individuals could be a savvy politicians? This is a general question. I came with these questions from your comment.

Amde

Selam Gash Amanuel,

Sure they can. I think that was the case for most of history anyway. Faith/Religion was a very important component of politics. I don’t know if Martin Luther King qualifies for you but he was a savvy politician.

It could be a problem too. If a deeply religious person feels they are destined by God, they can do anything they feel like doing.

The best combination is one whose faith provides good moral and ethical values, and uses reason and respect to interact with their followers.

I read that the investigation for Saturday’s bombing is backed by foreign investigators and modern forensic utensils. If so, don’t you think that there is something fishy about the possible culprit(s), and the ethiopian government does not want to be accused of a biased conclusion, or maybe, it does not trust the security for one reason or other.

The ethiopian government may want to tell the people that the result came from an independent group and therefore nobody should question the result, which may free pm Abiy’s hands to do some serious changes in the security apparatus. Here is a conspiracy theory for you.

Kbrom

Hi Amde,

And indeed in that rally he said የህዝቡ ፍቅር የሌለው መሪ ባዶ ነው።It is reported that after the bomb explosion several youths went to his car chanting ዶክተር ኣቢዩ የሚነካ የለም እሱ ከሚያልፍ እኛ እንሰዋለን! compare this to the ‘leader’ in Eritrea whose people ask everyday እቲ ሰብኣይ ሓሚሙ ኣሎ ኢሎሞ ገለ ሞይቱ ኣይሰማዕካን። Speaking of እቲ ሰብኣይ what will look like the upcoming meeting between PIA and PMAA, here is my assumption.

Genesis 11:7: Let us go down there and mix up their language so that they won’t understand each other.”

When/if PMAA and PIA meet it will be utterly difficult for them to communicate; not because of language barrier, cultural rift, not for not picking the right medium but for the following reason: school of thought.

Brilliant. Good framing for the would be conversation of two leaders of opposite values and characters.

Amde

Gash Kibrom,

Wonderful… I wish my Tigrinya was good enough to appreciate your art.

Amde

Kbrom

Hello Amde,

Don’t you think the the confrontation between TPLF leaders and PMAA is becoming so worrisome. From what I can see the statement by Former TPLF Deputy Chair Seyum Mesfin to members of Defence Forces and Security mainly from Tigray is, to say the least, perilous.

What do you think?

Amde

Selam Gash Kibrom,

The key word here is “Former”. It is a bit hard to think of TPLF as one coherent organization, more like a network of networks. Remember when Fanti was here a year or so ago he said (paraphrasing) addressing the networks was being a challenge. I guess network is defined here as an informal opportunistic group of bureaucrats and business interests.

My sense is the “formal” organization supports the reform.

Beyond that I think it is too early to speculate.

Amde

Kaddis

Selam Amde,
It’s true it’s a hopeful time. As much as I hate to speculate; my feeling is
– it’s done by a group who knows / wishes TPLF will be implicated
– its the continuation of the Dangotè CEO killing, a Queero element which have been trying so hard to bring the chaos to Addis.
– the lawlessness in Oromia is reflected in Addis in the form of bank robbery, assassination while OPDO and its security network is, as admitted by Jawar, part of the protest movement

I don’t believe three years long well planned state breaking protest will subside just because a reformist OPDO came on top

Mitiku Melesse

Hei, Kaddis.

Ya, the records of tplf can not lead us to this lol.
tplf has mastered this bomb in the middle of demonstraiton. When amhara and oromo paralyzed tplf corrupt leadership tplf used its foot soldiers to blame the innocent demonstrators and a reason for woyane to shoot civiliancs. That time has gone. Now i hope the police read the names. And we know who they are.

Kaddis

Hi Mitiku –
I wish the police keep quite on the identity of the terrorists, as the British usually do after any acts of terrorism, to avoid profiling and generalizing. Taking OPDO as an outsider for me is too early and better to wait until the next election.

Paulos

Selam Kaddis,

I beg you to bring some sense to some people here who don’t have absolutely no idea how the country works. You are there! You are the real deal who should be listened to! Thank you again.

Kaddis

Hi Paulos,

Thank you for the encouragement. In fact I learn more from the interactions here – although I see discussions got carried away and lost in analysis as most fams here lives abroad 🙂

Kbrom

Selma Amde

I appreciate your insightful analysis but I beg to differ with your analysis which overlooks the gruesome (God Forbid) possibiltles of ethnic confrontation. As you (and saay) might have noticed by now, I strongly believe that things will be much tougher for PMAA in the next three months. The statement from Seyum Mesfin could not be brushed off as a statement coming from a ‘former’ official pinched to old and irrelevant old guard. No sir, the confrontation between the leaders of TPLF and PMAA is taking unprecedented and marderouse path. Here are some points:

a) In TPLF’s political culture it is not about who is current or former leader, they have their own shadow structures by which they run with the organisational affairs – in many ways they are not better than PFDJ, some times even they are worse than. Seyum Mesfin is not an insignificant person, in TPLF.

b) The statement Seyum Mesfin made in the last two days was very serious statement, according to OMN, if true what he said to senior officials from the ministry of security and defence is this: ‘ PMAA is violating the Ethiopian institution at whim and you the defence forces have responsibility to defend the constitution, more over he said a psychological war is being declared on us ( by implication on Tigrean people) we need to fight back and to do so we need to mobilise our cyber capacity our skilled man power’ etc. For me this statement and what could follow it is worrisome to anyone who cares about Ethiopia, because it is taking ethnic form and shape.

c) The TPLF is weakened but if anyone thinking it has disappeared the/she will make wrong political calculation. It is still in EPRDF and more than that its foot and hand print that it it has built for the last 27 years is there, especially in the defence and security forces. Remember Samora was substituted by general Seare, lets remember that the majority of the high ranking military officials are from Tigrai, lets not forget EPRDF is still there, lets not forget if they get the quorum they can call an extra ordinary meeting where they can mobilise the executive committee as a whip to flog a pain compliance on PMAA through their poisonous method which is called ጥልቅ ግምገማ!

d) We can not assume that the resistance is only from TPLF, there are old guards in ANDM, Debub Hzboch even in OPDO, who are threatened by these waves of changes and corruption accountability. Please do not forget that it is said corruption is prevalent more in Oromia Kilil than any other Kilil including Tigrai. Just to give you some heads up Abdula Ghemeda, Oromo, who has been recently assigned PM’s National Security Advisor has a pending corruption file which PMMZ used to intimidate him and took him by as his hostage.

e) The next resistance and sabotage could have institutional capacity, and such institutional resistance is demonstrated by sabotaging the directives of PM, refusal and bureaucratic disobedience etc. Imagine if PMAA and PIA sign the modalities of border demarcation and PMAA gives directive to be implemented whilst the resistance and sabotage from the TPLF and some army Generals is there.

f) As we can see in Change Management 101 let alone in the Ethiopian context, change is painful even at a corporate level. A great book by Kim Cameron and Robert Quinn might be a good book for Ethiopians to read at this juncture. The authors believe that change can not be effective unless the organisational culture is changed, in our case the Ethiopian government and its institutions’ culture. The national governance culture was deliberately polarised ethnically by the TPLF junta. Until and unless PMAA succeeds to erect firm national frameworks and competing values of the new liberal culture he wants to be adopted as national culture and is introduced as a systematic strategy and methodology for changing the government institutions culture and personal behaviour, change will be not easy, if not impossible.

g) I would love to see a little slow down in the process of change not because I am being conservative due to my old age but wanted to share my two cents observation from Kurt Lewins book which eloquently elaborates the advantage of gradual change. If PMAA is to take a method of gradual change it will allow him
to focus on some aspects of change in times where he feels he need to give time to let go old habits.

h) So our thought of the day is: Ethiopians should avoid complacency and be reminded not to celebrate too early so that they know their challenges and get prepared to face and defeat them.

i) Then comes a quote from Ruth Negga:
‘ I think if we don’t understand history, if we don’t keep referring back to it, we become complacent. And complacency, as we all know, it leads to repeating history.

FishMilk

Hi Kbrom. I too have a similar concern re your paragraph (e), as PM clearly does not have the ability, at least at this stage, to force Ethiopia’s Northern Military Command to take action in regards to withdraw orders. Dragging their feet on the matter will be a threat to the legitimacy of PM Abiy’s authority; though in the end, the TPLF will be forced to comply as a result of internal and external forces. I also believe that people should not forget the spoiler role that Somali Region may try to play. I however do not agree that change should be more gradual as it’s gives more time to the TPLF to strategize and to mobilize action. All pressure must be exerted on the TPLF at this time to further weaken its capacity to do future harm. PM Abiy needs to now proactively go after the TPLF’s corrupted/illegal land and business holdings while he is riding the emotional high octane support of the masses.

Let me respond to one point only. I have this to say. If seyum mesfin’s statement is true, “ PMAA is violating the Ethiopian institution at whim and you the defence forces have responsibility to defend the constitution, moreover he said a psychological war is being declared on us ( by implication on Tigrean people) we need to fight back and to do so we need to mobilise our cyber capacity our skilled man power’ etc.” then, in my opinion, it is equivalent to calling the defense forces to carry out a coup d’etat, which is illegal and unconstitutional. He is also declaring war on the pm and on all those who support him, and he is instigating ethnic conflict, a civil war. Calling the armed forces to take action against a lawfully elected pm of a country is treason, especially when there is a functioning parliament and a sitting president and tplf could have demanded for motion of no confidence against the pm, thus following the democratic and lawful way. It is a pity that seyum mesfin still thinks and functions with the law of the jungle in mind. Depending on what he said, one is forced to conclude that it is difficult to rule out that the last grenade attack has nothing to do with him and the tplf, especially when security officials did not abort it on time before a human life was lost. If so, it is a very serious and disturbing development.

saay7

Selamat Kbrom:

That is some fine cautionary tale and I will begin with the first one because I think it is one of the pillars of your arguments:

You know how I like to make bets? Ok. I am willing to bet that Seyoum Mesfun never made the statement he is alleged to have made. I have many reasons for saying so but you can prove me wrong and share with us a link of such a speech. There is one guy whose sole job is chronicling the sins of TPLF (Professor Al Mariam) and if this speech existed, it would be a loop in his website:)

With that out of the way, I agree with your excellent point that what PM Abiye, as a change agent, has to engineer is cultural change—but that’s exactly what he is doing. I think this is what I was trying to say when I said he is changing the Ethiopian narrative. But while changing a culture is slow, the decisions you have to take to indicate that you are serious about your intent to change the culture must be bold and fast and, again, that’s exactly what he is doing. I don’t want to speculate about the “assassination attempt” (in quotes, because I don’t think it was) because its purpose was to slow down the change not stop it. Stopping it is impossible: even if it had succeeded it would only have accelerated it.

I agree (very much) with your assessment that PM Abiye’s biggest challenge is not TPLF as a political unit, but the beneficiaries of the old system (the 25 year of looting spree, most pronounced in Oromia.) This is what Amde was saying: given all his challenges, why not leave the Eritrean file in the pending list? Because change management requires change in culture and nowhere was the rule-of-men more pronounced that the old system’s defiance of rule-of-law on the Eritrean issue. In fact, in his address to the legislative arm, PM Abiye sarcastically answered the question of “why the rush” on Eritrea, “gee, I actually thought you as legislators were going to ask us, the executive, why haven’t you already implemented what we ratified?”

Full Speed Ahead, Ethiopia.

saay

Paulos

This is what we talk about. Spot on through and through! Thank you Sir!

Amde

Hi Saay,

I have seen a clip of Seyoum Mesfin saying – on stage and jn amharic – “የስነ ልቦናዊ ጦርነት ከፍተውብናል።” (They have opened psychological war on us). I have not seen a clip where is encourages the generals to “defend the constitution” – although I wouldn’t be surprised. He thinks there is a war on, and one can assume he is acting in that fashion.

The network of beneficiaries from the old system and Oromia officials being the largest beneficiaries.. I beg to differ on that one. The primary beneficiaries are TPLF and its party businesses, then the families and hangers on. They make serious money through access to basically government by fiat. METEC was/is a huge cash cow… it takes government money for mega projects, then parcels it out as subcontracts to TPLF firms and others. This process is repeated in many sectors. And these numbers are in the billions of birr, or wherever there are opportunities for export (i.e. foreign currency earnings). The rap on Oromia officials is two-fold. One is resistance by Oromiya officials to bending over without sufficient cuts. The other is simply because Oromiya surrounds Addis Ababa. Investment flows to metropolitan Addis, which logistically means Oromiya. Thus, more demands for handouts by officials. This is a pain point because such demands can range from simple traffic transactions to acquisition of residential plots to major investments. I bet that if Addis Ababa was located in the middle of Amara killil, we would have the same exact problem under the current system.

The Abiy changes definitely threaten the big money (TPLF etc..). But the lower level Oromia region corruption is likely to continue until
a) politically the sense of Addis as an alien entity in the middle of Oromiya goes away (tall order),
b) there is integrated development between Addis and the surroundings (which means Master Plan and thus another tall order)
c) there is a psychological and institutional shift of officials seeing themselves as representing people (at the bottom) or some senior bigwigs (in which case they will behave with impunity)

Amde

saay7

Excellent Amde:

I will yield to your expertise on who is a bigger thief in Ethiopia.

Would you agree with me that an Oromo thief is much sympathetic to a Tigrayan thief and thieves-across-Ethiopia? The “organized thievery” has to, and will, resist any and all attempts to reform the system and to interrupt the looting.

As for Seyoum Mesfin, until somebody shows me the audio, video, or written info, I will remain skeptical that he said what he is alleged to have said. The man has been on an apology and self-flagellation tour and of the entire TPLF elders he is least likely to use such inflammatory language. Now the Gebru Asrats, and Aboy Sebhat are more likely to say that: but also too smart to say it 🙂 so I guess I am damning boring seyoum by faint praise.

saay

Amde

Selam Gash Kbrom,

I read your post twice and I have to say I have little to disagree with.

If I were to list the resistance, based on motive and ability:
1. The money interests, generally known as networks, and which I agree cut across the whole EPRDF, especially long timers. Abiy has been trying to mollify and cajole them, telling them he is not against anyone being rich, but that they need to repatriate some foreign currency. Read my post to Saay. I think METEC is emblematic of the corruption. He recently changed the Metec chief, who within a month had a much publicised parliamentary session telling the MPs that 9 Billion ETB were “wasted”. In general, I expect these interests to fight tooth and nail. By the way, there is said to be serious Chinese moneyed interest with these group/networks as well. I don’t think they care one bit if Abiy digs out Menelik and makes Ethiopia into a monarchy as long as their financial interests are maintained.

2. TPLF deep state – military and security. Admittedly there is large intersection of these groups with the financial networks. But I don’t sense they are willing to slide the country into civil war as long as they maintain some institutional footprint.

3. TPLF as a party – there may be an MLLT type secret cabal, but again, if they are an organization that operates around an ideology, they may be unhappy with the speed of change but I can’t see the end game. It will be a self-destructive path. If they are a party that stands for the people of Tigray, then their best bet is to use the parliamentary and constitutional system.

4. Federal bureaucracy. Well, I have heard reports of turf wars within many levels of the federal bureaucracy between officials from the different EPRDF constituent units since before we knew a PM Abiy was in the offing. One entertaining account had an OPDO person telling a TPLF one to “ለምን ተመልሳችሁ ጫካ አትገቡም?” This was last year. So these turf battles have been going on ever since OPDO metamorphosed into what it now. So, there will be more of the same. (Btw.. there is an 80s British TV show called “Yes Prime Minister” that is a humorous but astute take of the battles between politicians and bureaucrats). In any case, TPLF can indeed sabotage PM Abiy via what they call “death of a thousand cuts”. But, I don’t see how they can effectively do so without being at least nominally part of the coalition.

Yes, I know I do look like a wide eyed naive optimist, but the chances that TPLF chooses civil war are extremely low. There is no consensus on it within TPLF. Which means it would be the actions of a rogue element, which now has something to lose – money, power, international status. I don’t think the west will stand for it. I don’t think Tigrayans will stand for it. Funny enough, what occurred to me just now is that they may do a Badme, i.e. create a crisis that is supposed to pressure PM Abiy is secret, but would blow up when made public.

I really think at the end of the day this a generational shift and younger members of TPLF probably support the changes – minus the scalegoating of Tigrayans of course.

I repeat again that it is senseless of Abiy to put the Eritrea agenda on።his desk at this time.

The feeling of asmarinos will be exactly as you described, if pm Abiy visits asmara.

Just imagine an ethiopian and an oromo and not a tigrayan addressing them in asmara stadium in their own language, when they have been told for so many years ethiopians are their deadly enemies, it will be beyond anything they have expected. Lie No. I, ethiopia is their enemy will be busted.

When he says that ethiopians and eritreans are brothers and sisters and tied even in blood, and not enemies, lie No. II, we are different people and we have nothing with those south of the mereb will be questioned.

When he declares that ethiopia is happy and ready for economic cooperation and even integration, contrary to what the regime told them that ethiopia wants to choke them economically and thus annul their independence, lie No. III will be shattered, and eriteans will come to understand that their economic misfortune is due to the regime’s policy and not due to ethiopia.

When he tells them that there is no reason for young eritreans and ethiopians to waste their productive years in trenches away from their families and loved ones, their jobs, farms and schools, the regime’s lie No. IV will be busted in its turn.

PM Abiy can still debunk many of the regime’s lies with his speech with/without knowing the effect his speech may have on asmarinos. Asmarinos and the people of eritrea in general are going to do a lot of thinking, and they are going to ask the big question, WHY all this all these years, by the same government who told them he loves and protects them, and wants to take them to prosperity and peace, if ethiopia were not there.

PM Abiy’s speech will be a bombshell to the foundation of dia/pfdj regime, and beginning from the end of his speech and on wards for days and may be forever, the awe-stricken eritreans are not going to be the same.

Do you believe that the regime will allow this to happen in the center of asmara? I don’t, and if it does, pm Abiy’s will be censored on what he should say, which he may accept for the sake of peace, or he will refuse and the visit is cancelled, or the regime may contemplate this beforehand and it may not invite him at all.

Berhe Y

Dear Horizon,

I don’t think what I am trying to say you are interpreted it well.

All this lie you listed, at some point or another were to be true, not by the Ethiopian people by by the Ethiopian regimes.

My father was arrested and tortured by the Ethiopian security accused of helping the rebels. Paulos told you that, his father was killed by the Ethiopian government. Eriteans were bombed and killed and made to disappear, in our own eyes and some even captured live.

But Eritreans were mature enough to know as differentiate the difference between the governments and those send from their families and homes told that Eritrea is being sold to the Arabs.

PMAA does not represent the past Ethiopian government and I am not sure he is truly representative of past EPRDF government either.

Eritrean people like Ethiopian people were victims of those in power and in Eritrea case continue to do so.

So PMAA provides hope and better future with his optimism and real concrete actions he is taking and Eritrean people are celebrating his human side, as should all humans need to.

Weather he is a Muslim, an Amhara, an Oromo, makes absolutely no difference as far as I can tell. His words and his believes resonated with that of many human beings and that’s why now people in Ethiopia from all walks of life are giving him unwavering support.

As an Ethiopian leader he is showing us and giving us hope that we can live side by side without fear of invasion, war and destruction and forced assimilation.

Had the past Ethiopian leaders lead like him, I can guarantee you that not a single blood would have been shed from all sides.

And let’s keep the the message as that.

DIA it’s against his nature to see the ERITREAN people happy and at peace so our will continue but we have Ethiopia to draw as our example this time.

Berhe

Nitricc

Hey Abi you said ” ምንስ ቢሆን የአዲስ ልጅ አይደለህ ” really? I used to think he was Eritrean. No wonder why he has PMAA’s avatar. Good to know.

Hayat Adem

Hi Tesfu,
Keep your memory functional and remember what he did to Woyane in 1998. He sent a deligation to Addis while sending his soldiers to Badime. He walks on two sticks.

Peace!

Abish,

Anytime my friend. One of my top wishes is to retire in my favorite city ናዝሬት- ኣጠገቤ ኣዲስ, ደብረዘይት እና ሰዶሬ. You have no idea how nerves I get every time I see Senor living communities while driving- makes me drive faster- nope, not here, Peace!

I understand with the defeat of the TPLF/Weyane, some are still wallowing and groping in the deep grips of agony and depression, while some long in the tooth remnants of the defunct ELF are ruing the loss of perks they used to get from their TPLF patrons. Yeah, the days of flying to Addis, the days of staying at Addis Sheraton, the days of endless meetings about Eritrea under different guises, are coming to a screeching halt.

Hayat Adem

Dear All,
Today’s bomb might undo every hope we cheered, every romance we heard, every air of peace andblove we breathed in this week. I will really really be surprised if things don’t point to one usual suspect: PFDJ. Just remember that orgn fishes happily only from troubled waters.
I was actually surprised IA wanted to talk with an Ethiopian govt and the rulling party leaving its two decade old demarcation-first mantra all suddenly.
Why would PFDJ make peace with Ethiopia now and not last year or the year before or 20 years ago? Remember IA will find it difficult or boring to rule peaceful poor small normal nation called Eritrea. Making peace and renewing relationship with Ethiopia today only means embracing a relationship defined between a weaker Eri and stronger Ethiopia. Also, remember how PMAA became popular within and abroad. ( It seems it is only Hayat who doesn’t cheer him up.) And recall how IA hates to become a distant number 2 or 3 or 4 or maybe n-1.
Why would IA go for such type of deal knowing his nurssistic personaliy ? I haven’t seen today’s incidence coming. But trying to find an answer to that question, I only came up with two possibilities: money incentive offred was too good to ignore or IA might be contemplating retirement, or both. Now with incidence in mind and knowing the most unpredictable man he is, I am into the thinking that IA might have other options in pipeline.
He knows how politics in Ethiopia is going more and more polarized. He knows ir misreads how sentiments are boiling high b/n the old guards of Eprdf and the new breeds. He knows how he can easily set Ethiopia to a blazing fire with one low budgeted perfectly planned incident. He may have sensed that fire consuming Tplf first. He must have craved of the biggest role for himself in Ethiopia’s actively burning fire and the aftermath. This is
little, don’t forget he is born evil.
From what I gather, the plot has failed for the bigger purpose it was intended. It was a big plot with a lot of sophisticated explosives attempted to take PM’S life. From what I am told all the culprits and collaborators are apprehended. If it had succeeded, you can imagine how Ethiopia would have slipped in to civil war. No other suspect would need such a result or find it necessary to do that except PFDJ.
Let’s think of Tplf for a starter. Though extremely far fetched, let’s assume for a moment they would want to harm PMAA. Why would they do it in such a crowd? First of all, they know they would be one of the first suspect. Secondly, they could do it in 1001 invisible and less questionable ways. 3rd, what would would they gain in transforming a hard achieved political system into an ugly civil war? And remember, many of them see him as their comerade in Eprdf. I would rule that out.
Other opposition groups? Nope. Many of the opposition are now turned supporters of the new PM.
Would Abiy himself do such a thing to use it as a rallying energy to fire up his supporters? Nope. It would undermine his central message of love and forgiveness. Besides, the plot was too real, too big, too close to himself.
I would rather put my money on implicating IA. Now watch carefully, for any hints of change of intonnation related to the plans on the announced mission of deligation to come to Ethiopia; on the reported visit of PM Abiy to Asmara… any hint of delay, or rescheduling, or re-messaging… any deviation from the alreaddy set tone and substance of “talk about jointly charting our common future”: any return to the border mantra would signal my suspicions. IA has a grown habit of stabbing the unsuspecting, and he always overdoes it.

Amanuel Hidrat

Selam Hayat,

Why would you go this at length with assumptions in the middle of crises. Wouldn’t be enough the info you gave us that the perpetrator(s)of the evil act are apprehended? Why don’t wait for few days until the officials comes with who he is or who they are. Do you really think to be productive to make wild assumptions while the perpetrators are on investigation?

Hayat Adem

Hi Emma,
And I am not talking about the crisis before it happened. It is about it and it is after it happened. When such barbaric happenings such as when indiscriminate explosions are unplugged amidst a crowd as in this case, it is natural one tries to make a sensible picture out of it as to who did it and why, based on facts, circumstantial evidence and logic. The only sin in coming out early to share one’s conclusions is the risk of erring and questionability involved. It is a risk I have willed to take because I truly believed in it.

Peace!

Hi Hayat,

Really! in just few hours you came with such conclusions- Nah! you must had some info prior to the incident. We should have taken the warnings from your friends Daniel Berhane and Alula seriously. The good news is though someone is too desperate and can help but to act cowardly. Nothing will chage even inches toward your wishes.

Peace!

Hayat Adem

Hi Peace,
It is purely inferred from the logic of motive and behavioral analysis. Nothing happens without an actor. Actors have motive. Actions follow a behavioral trend.

Peace!

Hi Hayat,

Agreed. But the question is which actor is acting desperate and has a motive to do it.

Peace!

Hayat Adem

Hi Peace,
Yes, that was what I tried to show.

Peace!

Hi Hayat,

Well, not that early, without facts and evidences? What you are doing is not trying but racing to blame others. Please calm and give time for investigation.

Peace!

Hayat Adem

Hi Peace,
Well I am calm and I am not obstructing any investigation. The Ethiopian investigators are not going to be influenced by my opinion for sure. I am only sharing my thoughts as where my suspicions are and tried to explain why.

Peace!

Hi Hayat,

Glad to hear your calmness:) Of course it was not about you obstructing any investigation rather Your genuine honestly and credibility was missing in a forum that treat you as a queen and BALANCER (Salih Johar ). In a time of heinous terrorist attack, we should not compromise our compassion for political purposes. That was the point I was trying to make.

What Soyum Mesfen, Abbay Tsehaye, and others have been saying, or Daniel Berhane declaring the type of bomb, F-1, used before investigators reached the scene are enough clues to point fingers, but but but given this case is too sensitive and lots of innocent lives at stake, playing politics should not be our immediate reaction.

Peace!

Hayat Adem

Okay Peace,
Well, you just did that, playing politics, and then after throw an advice to others not to do it.

Peace!

Hi Hayat,

I am sorry you understood me that way although that wasn’t the only comment I made regarding this case. I dismissed any attempt to absolve anyone including PFDJ.

Trust me even if it turns out TPLF’s conspiracy act, I wouldn’t advise the government to declare it openly because it can create unnecessary resentment and isolate innocent Tigreans from the rest of Ethiopians. For now, it should be used for taking corrective measures internally.

Peace!

Hayat Adem

Hi Peace,
I think the government should be advised to release the results of its investigation urgently. It is the subtle manipulations and implication that help the culprits go free and the innocent stay undeclared suspect forever.

Peace!

Hi Hayat,

Agreed. That’s exactly why I said “for now” at least till the ongoing radical reform/revolution fully and safely saturated, assuming the findings can potentially put the reform in jeopardy. What’s at stake can’t be higher than finding and prosecuting cowards. It is totally normal: every leader in the past had its own ፍቅር ያሸንፍል moment, and I think that’s exactly what’s happening.

Peace!

‘Gheteb

Hi Peace!

Report coming from Addis is indicating that the bomb thrower who was caught red handed is a WOMAN.

Ermias Legesse of ESAT in one of the shows ,a while back, has attested that those Weyane women residing in Addis were known to possess bombs while former TPLF fighters had AK-47s in their possession.

Peace!

Selam ‘Gheteb,

It was clear that prior to the rally the common understanding among supporters was this: “አርበኞች ግንቦት 7 ተደምሯል። ኦነግ ገብቷል። ከኤርትራ ጋር ሰላም ወርዷል። ከእንግዲህ ምንም አይነት ብጥብጥና ሁከት በኢትዮጵያ ቢከሰት ተጠያቂው እና ብቸኛው አማፅ ቡድን ህወሃት መሆኑን ሁሉም የኢትዮጵያ ህዝብ ልያውቅ ይገባል።” while TPLF cadres tweeting warnings as if they were sure about what might happen. The concern was there we just thought it was JOKE as it won’t benefit anybody. We should urge for CALM and thorough investigation.

Peace!

Hope

Peace:
Can u tell this disgraceful “ Detective-in -Chief what the TPLF Gang did to the Oromo Youth by bombing the AU Summit and to point finger at the PFDJ by faking up the news as if the Dead Oromos were sent by the PFDJ ,when in reality the same TPLF Gang did the bombing and blamed on the dead Oromos,killed by the same gang?
Wondering as to why the Moderators are allowing this lost soul spoiler and HYPOCRIT to roam around the Awate Forum!
Well,PIA will send a 10,000 Well Trainer Commanfos to guard the Menelik Palace and to protect Dr Abiy -sponsored by none but the UAE and the Saudis!

Peace!

Dearest Hope,

Still too early to rule anything out. But certainly the warning few hours before the rally and the blaming few hours after bombing raises some eyebrows

Peace!

Nitricc

Hi Hayat; lol you lost it. There are few people who buy your stupid accusation. Semere Andom comes to mind. You are disgraced.

Hayat Adem

Hi Nitricc,
You don’t need to buy it. Just tell us how you find that as a no possibility or as least likely

saay7

Selam Hayat:

Wouldn’t it be best to wait? The police commissioner is fired; the suspects are apprehended. After all, one thing we learned from Abiye is that the TPLF and PFDJ snail pace is passé. The man moves fast, like someone who knows opportunities were lost in the TPLF-PFDJ useless staring contest. We will know in a day or two who they are and who is their paymaster.

saay

Abi

Hi Saay
You are unusually slow today. What the TPLF activist doing is a textbook case of preemptive defense.

Hayat Adem

Hey Ras Abi,
Tplf activist is not a fair characterization. You seem to be obsessed of that. Why are you saying preemptive? Are you implicating Tplf in this?

Hayat Adem

Dearest Saay,
When were Tplfites kicked out of power? Haven’t heard.

saay7

Hayat, Selam:

I believe it was April 2. I will leave it to Abi to tell us its signifcance: all I have is: a day after April Fool’s?

You know what I mean, thou.

saay

Hayat Adem

Okay Saay,
April 2 was a day PMHD stepped down and PMAA assumed power. Both from Eprdf. One from Wolayta, the other from Oromo. Tplf was what before and after?

saay7

Selamat Hayat:

I thought it was obvious, but ok, I will play. Before April 2, 2018, every head of government in Ethiopia was either from TPLF (Meles) or handpicked by Meles (Hailemariam Desalegn.)

Between May 1991 and April 2018, power was heavily concentrated in TPLF. By power, I don’t mean ethnic balancing and cosmetics, but actual levers of state power (military, intelligence, economy, finance, police, media.) Not just levers of state power but parastatals too. With the levers of state, the TPLF had the power to actually decide who was up and who was down within its affiliate organizations (OPDO, ANDM, SPEDM) and the other affiliates (Somali State, Afar State, etc parties which are not technically members of EPRDF.) All that changed with OPDO deciding to take its orders from its people and not TPLF. That required visionary and fearless leadership that were able to transform an ethnic group that, despite its numerical superiority, never had power commensurate with its numbers. The Oromo Dysfunction was, for years, so legendary, there was one awatista here, dawit, who said that they would never get their act together. But they did.

So, yeah, the EPRDF composition is still the same, but power has shifted intra-EPRDF significantly and it is likely to do so even more.

saay

Kim Hanna

Selam saay,

I am reading this post of yours…..”Between May 1991 and and April 2018, power was heavily concentrated in TPLF. By power…..”

The way I am understanding what you are saying above is in the following slightly different framework.
(Let me state first that TPLF is not all good or all bad)

We are talking about the last 25 years.

((( TPLF primarily drew up the existing experimental Federal System to govern in a reasonably less oppressive mode than before.

((( They led the unceremonious eviction of a well entrenched Eritrean army…with a lesson not to be repeated again.

(((Numerous schools and medical centers across the country.

((( Highways and railways including the electrified rail connection to Djibouti.

((( GERD GERD GERD

((( Multiple universities in all sectors of the country.

((( A country saved from the edge of disintegration in 1991 up to this point ….World Bank forecasting the fastest growing economy. ……… phew, I can go on.

Are you sure you want to give all the credit to TPLF only ignoring everybody else.
Aren’t you saying the system they put in place had worked and is working. It is a tough act to follow for the next 25 years, wouldn’t you say?
If I didn’t know you any better I would have asked you if you are a member of TPLF.

Mr. K.H

Hayat Adem

Ahh.. Kim,
What a fantastic take!

Kim Hanna

Selam Hayat Adem,

Thank you Princess.
That is exactly what I was trying to say in a nutshell.

Mr. K.H

Amanuel Hidrat

Selam Kim,

Not bad at all.

saay7

Mr KH:

Yes of course: that’s exactly what I am saying.

Good, bad or ugly, the TPLF, as the most dominant power of the ruling coalition that ran Ethiopia for the last 27 years, owns all of what you listed and more.

But the bad was so bad, and the ugly was so ugly, people said “next!” I think that’s called democracy.

saay

Hayat Adem

Hi Saay,
Thanks. Now it is clear enough. Well, you could say the Ethiopian polity system has shifted a significant power from TPLF to other sister organizations through time. And I thought that was designed and expected. In fact, the right xriticism must be on the fact that the pace of the shifting and rebalancing of power share to make the politics look likebone that reflecring and mirroring country-context has taken longer. But still, don’t forget that TPLF is part of the ruling nationwide and it has all the power of attorney in Tigray, a significant region. That reality qill be holding for a while, I guess. What people are not appreciating is how TPLF is playing responsibly and adapting to the new realities. We live in a region where wierd thoughts and practices are in plenty. We have a party that tells us to go to the moon to fill a form to get registered as a political opposition, don’t we? Think of the many worst scenarios that could have happened if TPLF had wanted to spoil it?! Respect TPLF for their civic and civilized politics.

Kbrom

Hi saay

Lets put is in capital letters, (like what PFDJ supporters like when they write their *post in Awate forum) TPLF IS GONE FOREVER but definitely will try to sabotage and hinder the change in many ways including including by instigating ethnic confrontation. Their recent slogan is ወያነ ዘይክበረላ ኢትዮጲያ ኣይትሃሉ in which ዘይክበረላ means not being the dominant power.

May be you can add what our brothers say ከወደቁ ቡሃላ መንፈራጠጥ ለመመላጠጥ.

BTW why do they like to do so can you tell me.

saay7

Selamat Kbrom:

Since the TPLF designed the ethnic democracy, I think TPLF acting the size of its constituency is good for the people of Tigray and Ethiopia. If you have the name of democracy in your name (EPRDF), and you say democracy is based on the voices of the different constituency members (“kilils”) then you can only ride that, “yeah, but, I started this whole thing; I defeated the Derg”” mule for so long to dominate central power and still call yourself a democracy. Or, you can, like PFDJ, invent a whole new meaning for “democracy”, one that doesn’t include the right of people to elect their leaders. And 27 years is a long time.

There are some rabid TPLF cadres who came from the “power comes from the barrel of gun” school who still haven’t gotten that message but I think the TPLF central has. Or its moderate wing has. It just need to focus on meeting the needs of its people (Tigrayans) and let the rest of the coalition “carry the burden” for a while.

As for why the PFDJ-types yell and scream obsenities, you know the answer: in 27 years, their party has not showed them examples of what parliamentary debate looks like and all it taught them how to be a lumpen. To their understanding, lumpen, coarse culture (ብፍቕሪ ሃገሩ ዝነድ ድ!) is part of patriotism and “Eritreanism.” They have a head of government and ambassadors (!) whose communication style is insults and coarse language.

saay

Semere Tesfai

Selam Hayat

“When were Tplfites kicked out of power? Haven’t heard.”

The day they stubbed Eritreans in the back!

Semere Tesfai

iSem

hi Semere Tesfay
And I was wondering when was that. Sal gave Hayat exact date so I was hoping you do the same
thank u so much

@george

Dear Isem

Wow that was fast. Hey I admire your dedication to defend your favorite, TPLF….tplf backstabbing is legendary, it needs no date. But if you must know, * 150 years ago

iSem

George:

I do not deny TPLF backstabbed Eritreans, I am asking when, date year. 150 years ago, so they were stabbing before they were created,

Semere know what I was asking, I have no clue with ur outsourced thinking facility

So I want to know when did TPLF first stabbed Eritrea. Semere is quite because he knows the answer, the date, the year, the hour, the miniute, the second and the Day. So you keep quite

The day they declared war on Eritrea
The day they decided to renegotiate each and every time they agreed on peace (read Saay7th last Al Nahda)
The day they reneged on final and binding and their policy of no war no peace policy and as a consequence severely stagnate and choke Eritreans progress
The day they decided to strengthen PFDJs dictatorship and further oppression and weakening of Eritrea
…
I will run out of ink and space but will gladly send you the thousands of pages each of three or volumes. Besides, you will not need the exact dates to send your “Happy Anniversary Backstabbing of the Eritreans Day!” Hal(Weyane)mark post cards until 2019.

The Day Hayat Adam rushed to stick a diabolic plot on someone other than the culprits who are attempting sabotage success of this Martin Luther King Jr, look alike Hope of Peace and Prosperity of the Great Federal Republic of Ethiopia who is roaring like a PUMA PM3A. Yes Three times cheer Hip Hip Hooray, Hip Hip Hooray, Hip Hip Hooray for The PUMA of Ethiopia PM3A!

ወርቃዊት መጠን 1.618 ጎልደን ሬሽዮ ሐድነት-ነጥቢ-ትሽዓተ ዓሰርተ ሸሞንተ 9/18.

ጻጸ

iSem

Tsatse

You have used ዓይኑ ስውር iSEM twice
You better apologize and edit it before I call u ya wedhlet tekrir wahid. I was talking to Semere T, if u have answer answer it and i fu are hearing voices, get help

Start writing your “Happy Death of the Sellouts Day” I am from Hilet Tokrir… and how is a blind fool like you reading me Oh you got one of those text readers… but but what good would that do for ሓደ ጸማም ክማኻ።

ወርቃዊት መጠን 1.618 ጎልደን ሬሽዮ ሓድነት ነጥቢ ትሽዓተ ዓሰርተ ሸሞንተ 9.18.01
tSAtSE

Hayat Adem

Hi SemereT,
Your facts are usually so twisted. Your memories are more offten selective. Your logic is inverse and shaky most of the time. It is all because your thoughts are hatched from the fake dark den called Eritreanism. Look, nothing good happens, not peace nor development, in Eri if you are not cobmnsideribg Tigray/Ethiopia as Eritrea’s strategic depth. Be wise and visionary for a moment in your life.

FishMilk

Hi Hayet Adem. You ask ‘When were Tplfites kicked out of power?’. Well, most Tplfites are now in the currency exchange black market area behind the Ethiopia Hotel. They are being given a bit of a grace period to enable them to get enough hard currency to leave Ethiopia at no cost to the Government.

iSem

Hi Hayat:
You are missing one thing when you express shock of IA talking to Ethiopia: You are forgetting IA can talk and deal with anyone to save his skin. He did it with ELF, he did it with CIA, he did it with TPLF. IA long time ago admitted that Ethiopia has become the super power of our region in one of his rambling interviews.
And to stay in power, to maintain his “good legacy” that is built on myth than truth that Ali Abdu enhanced by the series of “golden words”, IA will talk to anyone, sell any land, give away for free any port, if that generates him money to appease some naives in Eri and quell potential uprising.

But do not confuse this with justice will come Eritrea, peace or no peace with Ethiopia Eritrea will remain under his grip, save if there is not be any nation wide uprising, a less likely scenario
So accepting the peace deal for IA is a no brainer when PMAA is saying unconditional and TPLF is out of the picture, he is selling prematurely that TLF is dead
As to the bombing, I just heard it here and it could be any spoiler or inside job
IA cannot refuse when Abi is saying, here, take your dusty land. I know, they will and must negotiate because due to the complex nature of swapping citizenships.Ethiopia was right all along to say negotiate, but rem Abi is saying unconditional and IA is telling/beleive that TPLF lost and our border will be demarcated. Remember, IA was vulnerable during the peace agreement, desperately begging MZ and even forcing to hug MZ during the ceremony, remindier of Arafat hand desperate hand shake with Rabin. IA also wrote letters to MZ begging. But then he arrested G-15 and consolidated power and was time to get back at the Woyane for humiliating him, it was all about him. Now the guys who humiliated him are not at the helm and he has written their epitaph

@george

Dear isem

Wrong tplf, was beat down to the ground in the battle. They’re about four five Ethiopians testifying to the fact that the last war Ethiopia was decimated last loss of life. What was your tplf dream? Just in case you forgot it was Crush Eritrea. Who is crushed right now buddy? What was the other dream? capture assab….. we still have assab. Where was the other dream? Greater Tigray. Whoops that dream is gone too… do you want any other info? Compadre. Listen you can put all the made-up story about Eritrean president none of them stick you provide no evidence ever you just speculating. If Eritrean president won United States there will be coming in in seconds. United States does not turn down any offer set up a military base. None of the things you listed have any iota of Truth in them you can provide no evidence except your wishful thinking to laminate Eritrea with your favorite team woyane. I admire your dedication to finding the bill keep it up it’s really entertaining.

Kbrom

Hi Amde

I believe you can help somehow.

Based on the changes that is unfolding in Ethiopia and its consequences in both positive and negative aspects, it goes without saying that it is highly likely that PMAA’s security threat is at stake. I think PMAA’s security advisors need to outline their security and risk mitigation strategy by improving the current state of their security protocol.

Even if PMAA resists it, that is their responsibility to create and enforce rules for him to follow. For example, when PMAA chose to drive himself his car to accompany the Emir of UAE they should make a strong case for protection and refuse to allow him, even if he insists.

By the same token in today’s one million march there was no point to put him in a bullet proof podium to deliver his speech and then allowing him strolling in the open air side of the stage for so long time (in terms of security protection). It seems that he was not wearing bullet proof vests as he was in T shirt.

Even after the explosion the security forces were not fast enough to deploy and form a shield around the P.M. Moreover PMAA was not accompanied by enough number of bodyguards, at least he needs three security perimeters around him in such circumstances.

Simply put whoever is responsible they need to improve their security and protection protocol. Ethiopia needs him, Eritrea needs him and the world need him.

For those who did the act of evil one needs to tell them a quote from the Prince and the Pauper:

“Don’t blow off another’s candle for it won’t make yours shine brighter.”

Abraham H.

Selam Kibrom, when someone with real evil intentions is out to do the worst, there is almost nothing one could do, though one could minimise the risk as you said. May God the Almighty protect this fresh breath of hope PM Abiy, who is revitalizing not only his own country but also our entire region.

Hope

Well said Kibrom!
You just enforced the ABCs of Security .

It was absurd that they didn’t try to protect him and didn’t even follow the basic Security Protocol!
And they had plenty of Red Flags before the Peace Rally that should have altered them to tighten the Security!

It just didn’t make any sense to me!
I think it is God’s work that he survived this as any one could have hurt him in a very simple way .

Am sure the Shabbos will do something coz if the TPLF manages in securing to reclaim the power somehow, even though less likely,the first thing it will do is to attack Eritrea.

Dr Debretsion indirectly said that the TPLF will rally with other Nation and Nationalities like Shigutie’s Group and Somali Region to undo Dr Abiy’s Power and Policy .

‘Gheteb

Greetings!!

Was that a bomb or an incendiary device that exploded in the ” March For Abiy” demonstration in Addis? Was that an assassination attempt on the prime minister?

Those who worked for the EPRDF and the Weyane led Ethiopian government and are now in exile would tell you that there are a lot of bombs and thousands of AK-47 in the hands of former TPLF fighters who are now residing in Addis. This tidbit is given to those who can’t control their urges of blaming anything and everything under the sun on the PFDJ.

Abraham H.

Selam Gheteb, what I have said and will continue to say is that the Ethiopians of whatever political persuasions, should never ever again allow your EVIL DIA and his equally evil pfdj mercenary org to mess with their internal affairs. The last 27 yrs of your demogod’s rule have shown us, nothing good comes out of the dark forces of pfdj, except, missery, death, exile, the destruction of our social fabric, and utter poverty.

‘Gheteb

Selam Abraham H.,

You can say and continue to say to your heart’s content and warn the Ethiopians about my “EVIL DIA” until the cows come home.

In the scheme of things that we call Eritrea and under the Eritreanism rubric what you say and unremittingly spout are in two phrases:

(A) Inconsequentially IMMATERIAL

(B) Insignificantly IRRELEVANT.

You, along with others, who are mightily trying to denigrate the PFDJ and its leadership and impugn its motives are big time LOSERS as Eritrea/PFDJ/PIA has won hands down in the tussle that lasted for over a decade and half between the two sides in the Horn Region.

PIA has been VINDICATED through what we are witnessing transpiring in the Horn Region. Since the early eighties, Isaias was among the sole voices who were advocating for the unity of Ethiopia and stood firmly against its disintegration. He has witnessed the end of three regimes in Ethiopia as we are witnessing the final nail driven into your Weyane’s coffin these days.

You, along with others, who are futilely trying to read the PFDJ tea leaves need your eyes examined as your conjectures and speculations are wildly NONSENSICAL as Eritreanism has triumphed MAGNIFICENTLY.

Abraham H.

Selam Gheteb, please ንኤርትራውነት ኣይተማራስሓዮ, Eritreanism doesn’t mean DIA-cultism. As to the rest of your nonsense, we will see whether your demigod will survive normalcy. “Brace youself” for normalcy and peace in our region. I say this because parasites like youself thrive during the misfortunes of others. You have been preaching ‘no dialogue before, weyane leaves our occupied territories and demarcation for 16 long years’, only to make a shameless u-turn after your master broke his 16 years old fasting on negotiations. Folks like you are worthless creatures without principles.

‘Gheteb

Hi Abraham H.,

How can I adulterate [ኣይተማራስሓዮ] when I have been the POTENT antiseptic against yours and your cohorts virulent anti-Eritreanism. That you have turned into the ne plus ultra of anti-Eritreanism is way too obvious to merit further elucidation.

Regarding the border issue and demarcation, you, along with those who are mouthing a wildly and senselessly absurd speculations and SURMISALS know bupkus, as in nothing about this issue, notwithstanding all their wailing and flailing against the PFDJ.

To your utter chagrin, Eritrea has won BIG TIME and Eritreaism is lucent, unless you are blinded by an unbridled anti-Eritrean antipathy.

Selam Abreham :
Please be so kind to show us your gut and courage to mention as to what the TPLF has done to us and to the Ethiopians for the last 20 yrs.
Please try to avoid to be more Catholic than the Pope as Dr Abiy declared the evilness of the TPLF Gang.

Kbrom

Hi all,

What looks like to happen (guess) in ten points

1. PIA’s letter through his delegation might propose talks to focus more on proposal package in the name of ‘beyond Badme to bigger regional and international conundrum’.
2. Package (which is believed to have been already discussed between the two leaders in the months of May and June) might include:
• Peace and stability
• The border demarcation would be seen as part of the package and not in isolation
• Hence the demarcation could be postponed because ‘peace comes before border issues’, and ‘Ethiopia’s disintegration is more dangerous than border demarcation at this stage.
• Lift of sanctions, regional peace, revitalising IGAD
• Trade and investment including UAE – Ethiopia joint venture of the port of Assab (rumours has it that the lease of Assab would be for more than 60 years
• Relationship with Ethiopia and international aid and an obscure guarantee
3. The delegation might also invite PMAA to visit Eritrea in the near future and the PM might happily accept the invitation
4. The two countries will set a joint committee in number of bilateral and multilateral issues – may be during PMAA’s visit
5. PIA will ‘advise’ PMAA on number of issues including how to handle the TPLF
6. TPLF will be declared as irrelevant (rightly) – the young generation will takeover TPLF leadership (ala Lemma Team Manual) in the next election which will take place after six months.
7. Demarcation and related issues will be given the least priority; even it might fade away with time
8. As symbolic move some public announcements and media covered military withdrawal movements might take place, may be in the town of Badme at some point
9. People’s fate such as Erob (which is in the Eritrean side as per the EEBC demarcation, but not even recognised by the Eritrean government, as well as Tsorona, which is in the Ethiopian side as per the demarcation would be discussed in technical meetings before demarcations takes place
10. We might see Eritrea hosting more foreign military bases

Ismail AA

Selam Kbrom,

Nice to have your considered thoughts again and thanks for that. Knowing the despot through decades of his manipulative and calculative conduct, I dare to argue that the boarder has never been, and will never be, worrisome issue on his mind. For him, there is no such thing as national interests that supersede his personal ego for power and control.

This time around, too, his worry will be centered on how to ensure his stay in power, understanding manipulating the boarder issue has now been exhausted and new challenges are lurking on the horizon. He seems to have started to proceed by cynically hints of persuading the new leadership in Addis Ababa that the hurdle to normalization and stability in Ethiopia is the TPLF. Once Dr. Abiy’s administration takes on to eliminate the TPLF, which will mean disintegration of the EPRDF, then restoration of full relation would make the boarder issue immaterial, or even ignorable.

In other words, having ensured his back domestically, he can go back to his pre-Badme position good times ዶብ ትርጉም የብሉን arrogance that infantilized the decades long sacrifices of the people. I amnot sure whether his worries will be limited to Woyane only or also transcends to the phenomenal transformation that we watching unfolding in Ethiopia. Otherwise, his concern about stability of Ethiopia beyond its own leaders at the expense of the immediate interest of the nation he claims to be safeguarding would reduce oddity of his candidacy for peace prize.

Kbrom

Hi, Ismail

Precise and to the point; I couldn’t agree more Ismail Hawey.

See what Bruton said below, the phrase ”peace between the two countries might be best served by being delayed’ speaks volumes.

‘Mr. Isaias’ advisers have told me that at this stage ensuring stability in Ethiopia is more important to them than rushing to finally end the old stalemate over the border. Eritrea may be the least of Mr. Abiy’s problems.

Now that he has made an overture, peace between the two countries might be best served by being delayed.

Peace served by being delayed?

Kbrom

Dear Isamil,

Having said that it the confrontation between TPLF leaders and PMAA is becoming so worrisome. The statement by Former TPLF Deputy Chair Seyum Mesfin to members of Defence Forces and Security mainly from Tigray is, to say the least, perilous.

Sooner or later we will se consequences of the mounting confrontation which could result on:
1. Sabotaging PMAA’s government and functionality
2. Disintegration of EPRDF call for extra ordinary EPRDF crisis meeting
3. Weakening the power of PMAA through EPRDF
4. Ethnic confrontation or even low intensity civil war
5. Assassination attempts
6 Other unseen scenario

Ismail AA

Selam Kbrom,

No one can dispute the fact that unity and orderly tranformation in Ethiopia is an absolute necessity to Ethiopia foremostly and us and the region by and large. I think this was intermittently discussed extensively in the past under a number of threads in this forum. Constitutional guidelines and house rule statutes could sufficiently harness political options and ambitions. Dr. Abiy’s efforts should be well advised to shield themselves within what the law and procedures avail. Doing too much at too short notice riding popular euphoria under meticulously framed checks and balances in a governing coalition could produce unforeseen problems that can open loopholes to trouble makers among whom the dictator in Asmara may be one of the candidates.

In such circumstances, pragmatic politics could generate respite that can let Dr. Abiy and his team focus on the run up to next election whose outcome could chart the path to future destiny of the Horn’s giant and its neighbors.

I think that although tplf may contemplate all the things you mentioned in the list, nevertheless i doubt that it will dare to implement anyone of them.

I believe that the tplf organization understands the repercussion such acts may have to its organization and members, its political power at the center, the economic wealth it has created all over ethiopia, without which it is nothing, and on the people of tigray in general.

They know that they are the prime suspects for any foul act that may occur in ethiopia including today’s bombing. Therefore any such acts will not serve tplf, it will not help to regain the power it lost, and it is difficult to say that it will get away with it, because the fire is going to consume it as well.

Disintegration of the eprdf will catapult tplf to its narrow corner of 6%, and then goodbye to political power at the center.

PM Abiy seems to have the support of the opdo and andm, the southern nationalities may not support him fully, but they are not going to turn against, diaspora oppositions are flocking back to ethiopia to boost the pm’s power and to avoid failure of the reform, and the young are infatuated with him. Therefore those who try to weaken him will not succeed.

As much as ethnic confrontation is concerned, it is my opinion that we will not see worse things than what we have already seen. On the contrary, ethnic politics concerning small ethnic groups may dump down due to the bigger political events at the center.

Finally, muchmore, I am worried of the lone wolf or a small fringe group at the periphery of the tplf organization, disgruntled member(s) or supporter(s) due to loss of ludicrous position and political power, who may try assassination out of frustration. If the tplf organization is implicated, then better to say God save ethiopia, because it is not difficult to imagine what could follow.

halafi mengedi

Horizon,

Obviously Ethiopia has bigger fish to fry at the moment and my heartfelt thoughts and prayers are with the nation.

Having said that, if PMAA accepts any deal that doesn’t involve border demarcation, he would made a huge blunder.

From what i have read lately, the border seems to be an issue for tplf and pfdj as it was for tplf and eplf in the past, than a problem between ethiopia and eritrea. Eplf had used it when it was in the field, whenever it had a disagreement of one sort or other with tplf.

Moreover, it is said that dia was contempleting federation for a second time when tplf and eplf/pfdj were in their honeymoon period before things got sour. In my opinion border demarcation is not important for the ethiopian government, and i believe the same thing for the regime in asmara. Simply, it was a weapon in the hands of dia/pfdj against tplf when it needed to blackmail tplf in 1998, and also a means to control the young in eritrea.

Add to this the fact that border demarcation cannot take place without active participation of tplf and the people of tigray. If we suppose that dia/pfdj’s main target was tplf, and it is far from power now, and tplf’s absence will not bring normal demarcation, the regime in asmara may ignore demarcation altogether as long as its nemesis is traumatized and more or less defeated at the federal level. Otherwise, things are going to get complicated.

@george

Dear horizons
Wow I’m impressed you make sense. I admire you for stepping up the game and thinking better. What you said above is probably what most of us think.. Tplf will not risk it. But they’re known to make stupid decisions, don’t underestimate the ability to make stupid decisions. For example, the last war with Eritrea. It was a slaughterhouse didn’t care about human life they send kids after kids into machine guns of eplf. So it is possible that they could do that but I don’t know we’ll see.

Now inc

Kbrom,
Of course IA would love to maintain the current border status under any pretext including “so Ethiopia can stabilize first”. Obviously unresolved border is to his advantage as it is a cover for avoiding facing tons of outstanding issues.

Peace!

Habibna Ismail,

Please forgive me if I misunderstood you. I am afraid reacting to every rhetoric and making assumptions doesn’t help assess the situation correctly and predict any eventuality. The good Dr knows the exact problem the country is suffering from which is the unprecedented unemployment among young generation, and it is totally understandable, if instilling hope makes the border issues less relevant. This is even true to all, not majority, young Eritreans, no one wants to hear about Baduma when the future is regrettably looks foggy. People lives ones for God sake.

Peace!

Ismail AA

Selam Peace,

Yes indeed, dear Peace. You seem to have not understood the point I tried to make. I was looking at the situation from signals the despot in Asmara seem to be floating vis-a-vis peace anchored on ending the boarder conflict as prelude to normalization. It’s clear from what we are gathering the direction of approach from Asmara is the direct opposite: normalization as starter to boarder conflict settlement.

The aim of this is to keep the matter as it is for the sake of not losing the threat to sovereignty card until post boarder settlement grip on power will be ensured. I think for the Ethiopian side getting rid of the boarder preoccupation as quickly as the regime in Eritrea decides to respond, and turn to other matters such as the economy and employment as you pointed out is important.

For the regime it is crucial the Eritrean people not become free from the pscho-political threat to sovereignty reshackles and demand change before the regime gets the value of dividends prior normalization would provide in time and trade that could enable it to manipulate the situation and work to deflate the national passion immediate resolution of the boarder problem would release.

Kbrom

Hi all,

There was a bomb explosion in the three million march in Addis, few injured. Investigation underway.

saay7

Kbrom:

Thanks, kbrom. No injuries but live stream stopped. Addis Standard tweet and image of the size of the audience.

Selam lelom
Tplf already retired and started to tell tebeq stories to each other while downing drinks in mekele.

saay7

Selamat Hope:

Can you wait like, I don’t know, a week or a month before you tell us what Semere Tesfai to give us a chance to doubt our memories? He said, today, that he:

1. Encouraged his daughter to go serve.

That’s it. Meanehile, he and people like him, are applauding Isaias decision to forecefully separate kids his daughters age from their parents and conscript them INDEFINITELY. Not a year, not two, not three but for a decade or more in some cases. And he is doing this even as he knows or should know that the parents love their children as much as he loves his, and they hate National Service and Isaias policies that triggered the chain of events that created it, and his absolute lack of creativity in solving in.

Look up the Golden Rule in the Bible or however it appears in any moral code. This is why Isaiasism (masquerading as “PFDJ”, “patriotism”, “nationalism”) is an immoral code built on exploitation and opportunism.

Selam Peace! so far so good, ymeleayo iyu zebil. PM Abiy has reignited a sense of Ethiopian nationalism, good to witness an atmosphere of postivity in our most important neighbor country.
Here is a live coverage of the demo:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A7TQfMMX8vI

Peace!

Hi Abraham,

Thank you for the link. The obvious thing is the Ethiopian people and the region in general cannot afford to waste such an ample opportunity because the alternative is simply a plain disaster, even for the despot at home, it is a new breathing tube. The border with Sudan still remains closed perhaps it won’t be open anytime soon given both countries are being positioned for joining different alliances. Why would he mess with Dr Abiy led Ethiopia when he has game-over for his worshipers on one hand and port revenue on the other?

Peace!

Peace!

Hi All,

More than three million people came out in support of the good Dr- the speech was phenomenal and the t-shirt (African United) was colorful and inclusive. Wish him and the country success!

I believe you are too young to remember the song፥in early 70s there was a tune composed by Accordeon which goes like this:

ንዕዳጋ ዶ ትወርዲ ኢኺ
እወ ክወርድ ኢየ
የዕብየለይ ዛ ሓፍተይ ሽኮር ተማልእለይ

and here we say

ናብ ቀርኒ ኣፍሪቃ ዶ ክትወርዲ ኢኺ
እወ ክወርድ ኢየ
የዕብየለይ እዛ ሓፍተይ ፍቕርን ሰላምን ተማልእለይ

Amanuel Hidrat

Selam Kibromay,

Indeed the waves of change in Ethiopia “ሓበንን ቅንእን” ብርግጽ ይፈጥር እምበር:: ዘይቀንእ አይወለድ ይብሉ አቦታትና:; Ethiopians has never stopped from moving forward however incremental it was. If a society has a space for grievances, the political cultur to debate on them, and the ears to listen to them, there is always a change. That is exactly what we are observing in the Ethiopian realities. And that is precisely the difference between the Ethiopian and Eritrean politics.

Compare it to what we have: the rule, the visa granter, the visa denier, the final and binding imposer, the final and binding lifter, peace and war maker, judge, police, prosecutor is one man the president.

ያሬድ he was a normal person, he acts alone but what is more disturbing is he is unstable person who is guided by revenge, sadism, hatred, and arrogance.

Trust me, his next priority is to avoid the demarcation so to keep Eritreans hostage under another slogan of ‘Weyane hindered implementation’.

To the contrary his main job will be to create rift between TPLF and PMAA, as he is a master of instability he will spend his days in the devils workshop where he concocts his wicked plan. If there was the opposite of Nobel Peace Prize he would have been the prime candidate. ኤርትራና ኣምላኽ ኢዱ የንብረላ።

Ismail AA

Selam Aman H.,

Your right, we stuck where we are due to the ምእንቲ መጎጎ ትሕለፍ ኣንጭዋ attitude that has been curtailing our political culture since long ago. You and me saw it during our time in the ELF since the 1971 congress, the same was well and alive during the 1940s and 50s politics, and not changed after mistakes of those times have brought us to the current ruthless autocracy that has not ashamed to thrive on ምእንቲ ልዑላውነት ኣምባ ገነናዊ ስርዓት ይንገስ distorted notions. The tragedy of all is that we lived to hear regime zealots trying to define “Eritrean-ism” of one’s endorsement or negation of ምእንቲ ልዑላውነት ኣምባ ገነናዊ ስርዓት ይንገስ mantra.

Amanuel Hidrat

Selam Ismailo,

saay7

E mma:

I wonder if people know that PM Abiy’s message of forgiveness, reconciliation, peace, enlightened politics that counts success by friends recruited and not enemies defeated, and leaders humbling themselves in front of the people instead of bragging about how much they struggled…. all of that was said by an Eritrean 23 years ago. And lucky for us, it was captured on video. I just want to share it because sometimes, in our admiration for the Ethiopian leader (rightfully earned), we may forget that there are many Eritreans who hold those values and are paying a dear price for it.

Ajokhum, Ajona. Don’t be depressed by the fact that he fought 19 years to be imprisoned for 23 years, although that is true. He says the people (future generation) will reward him. The Isaiasists and their warped thinking is remote-controlled by Isaias and when he is gone, it will create massive confusion in the cult and they will be a “fo” footnote in Eritrean history.

Thanks saay
You just nailed it. We had our Abiy 20yrs ago. Listening General Bitweded elevates to a comforting , motivating spiritual level.
I wish there is a magical way to challenge Eritreans time and again with ‘where is your brother?’ message? & disentangle them from irrelevant issues

Paulos

Selam Sal,

The similarity is unbelievably striking. We certainly had our own Abiye way before heaven sent another voice for the first was silenced by the forces of evil and darkness! It breaks my heart to see him and hundreds of others languishing in dungeons. The end is near. Tears will turn to smile. Thanks for sharing.

Amanuel Hidrat

Selam Saay,

Thank you for the clip. They are “symbols of courage” in our history and history will remember them as such. But I was speaking about the Eritrean political culture in general. Actually the change we are witnessing in the Ethiopian proper is not from the role of individuals, it is from the system in place the allows “open public sphere,” that allows debates in the parliament, debates within the coalition, debates within civil society (however rudimentary they are) all these are the reasons that brought the new PM with his rhetorics. I was saying we don’t have them. We have different political culture. TPLF had it, they debate for months, and Institute it as one of their political culture in to the politics of Ethiopia, be it within EPRDF or outside EPRDF. I have many Qualms about TPLF but not in these area. So what we Eritreans need is to bring a new political culture and openness, where new ideas can germinate in the womb of the public sphere. Individuals who fight for reconciliation, rule of law, constitutionalism, without these environments can only ended up in to prisons like the heroes you brought them in the clip. How do we change our political culture should at the center of our endeavors. Again thank you for the clip, it reminds us not forget them and to work hard towards their freedom.

saay7

Emma:

It is not the culture but the narrative. Big difference. I will write about it but this damn world cup keeps getting in the way:) I woke up early to watch Belgium-Tunisia and I want my time back.

Selam Aman, yeah, what the pfdj ‘succeeded’ in creating in Eritrea during its 27 years destructive trek was a cult-culture, unlike those postive developments you cited that have been taking place in Ethiopia, and the outcome of which we are witnessing today.